A dark partly inverted umbrella hangs against swirling violet storm clouds.

Original artwork, not a still

George Eliot

Certain winds will make men’s temper bad.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker observes that certain winds can sour people's tempers. The line links mood to weather, treating irritability as something the atmosphere may bring on rather than solely a personal failing. It is brief and wry, noting an outside influence on inner temper.

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