The Wild Swans At Coole

The Wild Swans At Coole

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:

This poem, by William Yeats, is about the swans on the Coole River. Yeats seems to be describing the way he feels when he sees the beautiful swans around the river. The swans appear to be leaving the river because of the change in season. As Yeats watches the swans, he appreciates their enjoyable qualities, but he is also pained to see them go away. In the end of the poem, Yeats poises a question about the wandering nature of the swans. He asks, “To find that the have flown away?” This question is referring to the fact that people question why the swans, with the beauty the posses, have suddenly decides to leave.

Paraphrase:

It is autumn and the trees have a distinct beauty

The path in the woods is dry

The water reflects the twilight in the sky on this October day;

Near the top of the river/pond which is on stone

There are nine and fifty swans

This is the nineteenth autumn for me

Since the first time I’ve been counting;

Before me completion, I saw

All suddenly stacked up

And scattered in feathers

Upon those swans’ wings

I have looked at those beautiful swans,

And now I feel a soreness inside me

Everything changed since I, hearing at twilight,

The first swan arrives on this shore

The wings make noise above my head

Fly and eat the smaller treads

Not tired still, lover by lover,

The Swans paddle in the cold water

Near by streams or fly in the air

The heart of swans do not seem to age;

Their passion and control, wherever they go,

Stay with them

But for now, the relax on the motionless water,

Mystical and beautiful;

Among what crowd will they build?,

By which lakes will they reside

Delight the bring in men’s eye when I awaken some day

To notice that they have disappeared?

SWIFTT:

SW- The poem consists of five stanzas, each consisting of six lines and rhyme scheme that makes line two and four rhyme, and the last two lines rhyme. Although the writer uses many common, simple words, his implementation of these words is very effective in providing a distinct voice.

I-Through the description of the swans, the author creates powerful images in the readers’ minds. For example when the author says, “the bell bell-beat of their wins above my head, trod with a lighter tread,” the readers’ imagine the elegant swans flying effortlessly with food in their beaks.

F- The entire poem seems to be figuratively speaking about freedom and longevity through the motion of the swans. The swans represent the ability to continue and live beautifully. Further, the author also makes use of strong adjectives that help express the beauty of the swans. For instance, the narrator calls the swans “ mysterious, beautiful,” and “brilliant.” By continually using strong adjectives to describe the swans, the author makes it clear that he esteems the tenderness and beauty of the swans.

T- The author gently creates a tone of longing by using words that express beauty and desire. For instance, the author uses words such as “passion” and “brilliant” to create a relaxing, gentle feel; while, at the same time, the author questions why the swans have left and says that he feels “sore,” making it seem as if the author desires to be with the swans.

T- Throughout the poem, the author expresses his desire to be with the swans because of the relaxation they provide. By watching the swans, the author feels joyful because he see beauty and freedom. The theme of the poem, therefore, is that of a desire for freedom from the aging of life.

Conclusion

My initial response differs from conclusion. I initially thought that the poem was simply talking about the beauty of the swans and the sadness that swans bring when they leave. Now, however, I believe that the poem is about far more. In fact, the poem is talking about the author’s desire to escape his old age and live through beautiful swans. The autumn season reminds the author of his age. However, the elegance of the swans, with their youthful hearts, reminds the narrator of freedoms youth brings. Sadly, however, at the end of the poem, the swans are gone. The question that the narrator asks, “To find they have flown away?” expresses the narrator’s contempt with not being able to live life like the swans. While the swans will continue to maintain their beauty and bring delight to others, the author will age, causing him to lose the vigor he desires to maintain.