Poems about January Winds

January brings colder temperatures and the micro-seasons of Minor Cold (Jan. 06- Jan. 20) and Major Cold (Jan 20-Feb 03). It is also the time when the wind chill is frequently mentioned in the weather forecasts.  

What is Wind Chill?

The wind chill factor is the rate of heat loss from the skin as a result of the wind and cold.  For those math-minded people the formula for this is: 

• Wind chill (ºF) = 35.74 + 0.6215T – 35.75(V^0.16) + 0.4275T(V^0.16)
  • Where: T = Air Temperature (F)
  • V = Wind Speed (mph)
  • ^ = raised to a power (exponential)

For those of us who might not be so math oriented, this formula says that as the wind increases, the wind draws away heat from the exposed skin.  This can then result in lower internal body temperatures.⁽¹⁾  The higher rate of wind chill, the greater the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. 

The National Weather Service provides us with this explanation.  

“If the temperature is 0°F and the wind is blowing at 15 mph, the wind chill is -19°F. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes”⁽¹⁾

As you can imagine, frozen skin is a pretty serious health condition.  Frostbite, which is the common term for the freezing of the skin and underlying tissues, can cause damage to the skin, muscles, and bones.⁽²⁾  In cases of severe frostbite, the skin can die and needs to be removed.

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Given the dramatic impact that January can have on our lives, either through wind chill or just a drop in temperature, it is no surprise that there are poems written about this time of year.

Helen Hunt Jackson will provide us with the first poem about this time of year.

“January” by Helen Hunt Jackson

O Winter! frozen pulse and heart of fire, 
What loss is theirs who from thy kingdom turn 
Dismayed, and think thy snow a sculptured urn 
Of death! Far sooner in midsummer tire 
The streams than under ice. June could not hire 
Her roses to forego the strength they learn 
In sleeping on thy breast. No fires can burn 
The bridges thou dost lay where men desire 
In vain to build. 
                                O Heart, when Love’s sun goes 
To northward, and the sounds of singing cease, 
Keep warm by inner fires, and rest in peace. 
Sleep on content, as sleeps the patient rose. 
Walk boldly on the white untrodden snows, 
The winter is the winter’s own release.

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As I read this poem, I am really struck by the first couple of lines.  The “frozen pulse and heart of fire” and the “snow a sculptured urn”. These lines conjure up thoughts of a battle of life and death being waged on the landscape.  

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The next poem by William Carlos Williams is also titled “January”.  In this poem, Williams also talks about the winds, but perhaps in a somewhat playful manner.

“January” by William Carlos Williams 

Again I reply to the triple winds
running chromatic fifths of derision
outside my window:
                                  Play louder.
You will not succeed. I am
bound more to my sentences
the more you batter at me
to follow you.
                                  And the wind,
as before, fingers perfectly
its derisive music.

What I enjoy about this poem is the relationship between Williams and the wind.  It is almost like the wind is teasing or luring him, but he will not falter from his writing.  Such a steadfast dedication to his craft!  

Haiku about winter wind

Matsuo Bashō, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki also wrote poems about winter winds.  Below are a few examples of their work.

Winter solitude —
In a world of one color
the sound of wind.
-Basho

Bleak is the Winter
White is the Color
And the Sound of Wind
-Basho

winter wind--
he can't find his roost
the evening crow
-Issa

winter wind--
yet the inlet's birds
get along well
-Issa

winter wind
from off the mountain...
night howling
-Issa

cold winter blast
a cord of a sedge hat
cut into my neck
-Shiki

My favorite haiku out of this group is Basho’s “Bleak is the winter.”  These three lines seem to capture my winter experience.  Sometimes things seem bleak, they are usually white and covered with snow, and the wind is always there.

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Resources:

• National Weather Service; Wind Chill Questions
• Mayo Clinic; Frostbite
• Helen Hunt Jackson; “January”
• William Carlos Williams; “January”.  This poem can also be found in Williams’ 1921 book Sour Grapes.

Naturalist Weekly also has several curated book lists including one dedicated to William Carlos Williams, haiku, and all the books featured on our blog. 

Looking for more haiku from Issa? Visit David G. Lanoue’s website The Haiku of Kobayashi Issa

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