The Wild Swans at Coole (1916)

The Wild Swans at Coole

By W. B. Yeats
Mrs. Shannon www.loughallenliteracyhut.com

Swans

Describe the pictures of the swans. What things do you associate with swans?

Swans

Swans are a symbol of strength, of immortality, freedom, love, power.

Coole Park

-This poem was written in 1916. Yeats was aged 51. -Coole Park is in County Galway, home of Lady Augusta Gregory, Yeats friend. -This poem records how his life changed since he first stayed at Coole Park during the summer and autumn of 1897.

The Wild Swans at Coole

Lets listen to different clips of Yeats Poem.

The Wild Swans at Coole Stanza One

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.

Stanza Two
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 clamouring wings.

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

Stanza Four
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.

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

Have a go at Crunching the poem

Read the poem through Reduce each line of the poem to one word Compare the words you have each chosen Can you spot any lexical fields? Which words are repeated and what is their significance?

 Use a venn diagram to collect the words used to describe: the swans, the setting and the poet.
The Setting The Poet

The Swans

Lyric Poem
A Lyric poem expresses the feelings of the poet, or his persona. Explore what emotions Yeats is experiencing in this poem. Pick out evidence from which we can infer his feelings. How does the presentation of the swans contrast with the mood of the poem.

Stanza One
BEAUTY - Yeats is describing the beauty of Coole Park in the autumn.
SCENE TO LIFE details such as the brimming water and the dry woodland paths bring this scene to life. CONTRASTS - the brimming water of the lake which represent life and growth while the dry land appears dull and barren, perhaps like Yeats life.

ALLITERATION - The repeated 'm', 's' and 'l' sounds in this stanza highlight the peace and solitude of Coole Park. The tone of this stanza is quite detached.
AGE - Does Yeats feel that, at fifty one, he is reaching the autumn years of his life? The swans are counted; there are nine-and-fifty of them. Why is there an odd number of swans? Is one of them, like Yeats, alone?

Stanza Two
PASSAGE OF TIME - The first line of stanza two The nineteenth autumn has come upon me shows time passing, time creeping up on him. It has been 19 years since years last counted the swans. They have defied time for the past 19 years.
Before he has finished counted them, they take off into the air, rising towards heaven all suddenly mount. The image of mount/great, broken rings and clamorous wings is an image of power and freedom. The swans form a ring, a circle, reminding Yeats that while he changes, they remain the same. Its as if Yeats is condemned to be lonely.

Stanza Three
YEATS LAMENTS THE LOSS OF YOUTH, PASSION AND LOVE The beginning of this stanza My heart is sore shows a sense of loss of love, disappointment at growing old in contrast to when he was 19 years old and happier Trod with a lighter tread.
Yeats reflects how everything in his life has changed since he first looked at the swans on this lake, All's changed. He is not as young or as carefree anymore. Perhaps his heart is sore when he thinks of the loss of his youth and his failed romances (Maud Gonne). The description of the swans' wings in flight, The bell-beat of their wings is particularly effective here. The alliteration in bell-beat captures and reinforces the steady beat of the birds' huge wings as they fly above his head. It suggests togetherness in contrast to Yeats who is lonely.

Stanza Four
Yeats is slightly envious as he watches the swans Unwearied still, lover by lover. The swans contrast with him, they have not lost love. Note his sense of loss. Instead they paddle together in the cold, Companionable streams or climb the air highlighting that while the water may be cold, they have each other. They stand united and time does not touch them.
Their hearts have not grown old is the keyline of the poem. Hearts stand for emotion. Unlike Yeats, they are immortal (go on forever). Yeats is old, lonely and heartbroken. Passion or conquest, wander where they will, attend upon them still refers to the swans. Conquest means they are able to achieve things. They can conquer the air, time and also love. Wander where they will highlight their freedom in contrast to Yeats.

Stanza Five
The swans will continue to bring pleasure Delight mens eyes to those who stand watching them. They become symbols of poetic vision; Yeats is afraid he will lose this.
The swans will continue to remain untouched by the passage of time as they drift on the still water . Note how the words mysterious and beautiful are on their own in order to stress the beauty and magic of the swans. The swans are unchanging, immortal unlike Yeats.

Themes
Fear of old age/loss of youth
Passage of time Loneliness Loss of artistic inspiration/creative vision