WHOOSH! — Summary

allyson1124Cheerful

WHOOSH! A tiny gust of wind starts its travels. It blows past the park, picking up more wind as it goes. It blows past houses and office buildings, markets and schoolhouses. It blows past a man, and picks up his hat. It plays with the hat, then drops it back onto the man. It plays around, but blows to close to a set of doors. The doors open, and he disappears inside with a WHOOSH!

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Wind is the real character here. It begins as a tiny gust, then gathers strength as it drifts past a park, houses, offices, markets and schools. The list of places makes the wind feel like a traveler seeing the whole town, and the short, steady lines mimic its easy movement.

The tone is light and mischievous. When the wind lifts a man's hat, plays with it, and sets it back on his head, it feels like a child's joke rather than a threat. Then the mood shifts. The wind gets carried away, blows too close to a set of doors, and gets sucked inside. The poem never states an emotion outright, but the speaker seems amused and affectionate, describing the wind as if it were a curious, slightly careless creature. The repeated "WHOOSH!" at the start and end frames the poem like a circle, and the ending is a small, funny surprise: the wanderer is trapped by its own playfulness.

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