What does the speaker mean by Drive my dead thoughts over the universe Like wither'd leaves to quicken a new birth Shelley s - Ode to the West Wind is a poem full of beauty power and hope The speaker calls upon the West Wind as a mighty force of change In the line Drive my dead thoughts over the universe Like wither'd leaves to quicken a new birth Shelley shares a deep message about creativity and renewal Let us explore this idea The speaker sees his old thoughts as dead like dry leaves These leaves are lifeless and useless scattered by the wind However the speaker doesn t see this as an ending Instead he believes it is a chance for something new By scattering these dead thoughts the wind can bring fresh ideas to life The phrase quicken a new birth shows hope and transformation In nature dead