January 19, 2011 - “The Wild Swans at Coole” - William Butler Yeats

Text:

“The Wild Swans at Coole” by William Butler Yeats

The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty Swans.

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.

I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.

Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.

But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake's edge or pool
Delight men's eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?

Initial Impression:

When I first read “The Wild Swans at Coole,” I felt at peace. The description of magnificent animals taking the breath away from a young man, to me, gives a strong sense of awe and passion. The flight of the birds and their swimming paths are synchronized, and the swans do not bicker or fight. I thought that “The Wild Swans at Coole” was written after a young man witnessed an event that stuck his heart as beautiful and something that people lack: nonjudgmental compassion towards others.

Paraphrase:

The trees look beautiful in the fall. Paths going through the woods are dry. In October around dusk, still water looks like the sky. On this full body of water and among the rocks are fifty-nine swans. I have come here to watch the swans for nineteen years. Before I could finish counting how many swans there were, they suddenly took flight and scattered away. I feel awed from watching this beautiful sight. I feel changed since the day I saw these swans take flight, their wings beating above me. Still playful, the swans swam in the pond, side by side, or fly in the air. The swans are happy. I wonder where they will travel to, whether from passion or conquest. But for now they are still swimming on the water, mysterious and beautiful. I wonder where they will build their nests. I wonder where they are when I awake some other day to find they are gone.

SWIFTT:

William Butler Yeats uses syntax, diction, imagery, figurative language, tone, and theme in the poem, “The Wild Swans at Coole.”

Syntax/Word choice:

This is a lyric poem in ballad format because the narrator expresses his feelings. Yeats’ poem has 5 stanzas of 6 lines each. “The Wild Swans at Coole” does not have a traditional pattern of poetry. It has a rhymed couplet which is shown in: “delight men’s eyes when I awake someday/ to find they have flown away?” The odd numbered lines have 4 stressed syllables, while the even numbered lines have 3 stressed syllables. The rhyme scheme for the poem is abcbdd. Also, the order of the words is changed: “nine and fifty swans” instead of 59 swans. There is also diction which implies that the narrator is growing towards the end of his life and has not fulfilled his hopes and dreams: “the swan’s hearts have not grown old.”

Imagery:

“The Wild Swans at Coole” is expressed through elemental imagery. Three of the four main elements of nature are utilized, both physical and spiritual: earth, water and air. Earth is demonstrated by physical means in which “woodland paths are dry.” Water is conveyed spiritually by “brimming water” and “…the water mirrors the sky.” Air is also conveyed spiritually through flight imagery: “wheeling in great broken rings.”

Figurative language:

There is no usage of simile or metaphor in this poem. However, Yeats uses rhetorical question toward the end of his poem. The narrator is not satisfied with the way his life is going and questions if he will die unsuccessful and without accomplishing any of his goals. There is also personification in Yeats’ description of the swans, which are beautiful and seemingly in love. The swans are able to fly away; they have freedom where the man is stuck in the same, monotonous life.

Tone:

William Yeats writes “The Wild Swans at Coole” with a depressed, pessimistic attitude. His character, the narrator, is not satisfied with where his life has been going and the swans’ freedom brings an ache to his heart.

Theme:

The theme of “The Wild Swans at Coole” is that people need to make the most of their lives. Don’t waste your life away and then, later in your life, regret past decisions. What’s done is done. Move on, live the day. Instead of moping around about what could have been, make your dreams come true, fulfill your passions!

Conclusion:

After analyzing the poem with the class, I have been able to comprehend William Butler Yeats’ “The Wild Swans at Coole.” There is the autumn, which shows the man getting close to the end of his life. He has not accomplished his goals “under the October of twilight” and is still unmarried at the age of 51. “The Wild Swans at Coole” contrasts the lonely man to the mysterious swans. The man goes to see the swans every year, but this year he goes depressed and with a heavy heart, knowing his life goals are but dreams of the past. The swans in the poem are free; they have no restraints and can fly away to their freedom whenever they please. The man is stuck in the same, monotonous life that he has created for himself, and yearns for the freedom and simplicity that the swans’ lives include. The swans, while at the pong physically, represent the something more fanciful and spiritual than a beautiful creature. They represent the freedom that man cannot acquire because we are humans. “The Wild Swans at Coole” is about fulfilling one’s dreams before it is too late, before they become mere dreams.