Windy Nights is a rhythmic and atmospheric poem from Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. Written in simple yet evocative language, the poem captures the eerie thrill of a windy night as seen through the eyes of a child. It begins with the haunting image of wind howling through the darkness, creating mystery and suspense. The poem’s repetitive structure—starting each stanza with “Whenever the moon and stars are set”—mimics the rhythmic gallop of a horse, reinforcing the ghostly presence of a lone rider who appears to be traversing the countryside in the dead of night.
This spectral horseman, described in vivid imagery, is never fully explained, leaving readers to interpret whether he is a figment of the imagination, a symbol of restless dreams, or a shadowy figure from folklore. Stevenson masterfully taps into the wonder and fear of childhood, where ordinary sights and sounds can become fantastical or frightening. Windy Nights uses meter, repetition, and evocative imagery to draw readers into a world of mystery and imagination, demonstrating Stevenson’s gift for turning simple verses into lasting, atmospheric experiences.
Windy Nights
Whenever the moon and stars are set,
Whenever the wind is high,
All night long in the dark and wet,
A man goes riding by.
Late in the night when the fires are out,
Why does he gallop and gallop about.
Whenever the trees are crying aloud,
And the ships are tossed at sea,
By, on the highway, low and loud,
By at the gallop goes he.
By at the gallop he goes, and then
By he comes back at the gallop again.