the wild swans at coole

Question 1

author

Answer 1

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

Question 2

themes

Answer 2

nature,loneliness,youth/old age,companionship

Question 3

loneliness

Answer 3

Are nine-and-fifty swans.

the repetition of ‘autumn’ and ‘twilight’

Question 4

time

Answer 4

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;

All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,

Question 5

youth/old age

Answer 5

The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;

All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,

Their hearts have not grown old;

Question 6

symbolism

Answer 6

SWANS-They are a symbol of beauty, but also of energy and permanence. They don’t seem to age the way the speaker does, and they aren’t conscious of pain and weariness in the way that the speaker is #

TWILIGHT-Our speaker is getting older and thus approaching the twilight of his time on earth. Twilight signifies the end of the day, and in the same way implies that the speaker is reaching the end of his time on Earth. Bummer.

STILLNESS-He draws a sharp contrast between their seemingly infinite vigor, and his own lack of vitality. A good way to get that idea across—of aging, fatigue, and decline—is with images of stillness. It’s not just the speaker who’s sitting on his duff. Look closely, and you’ll notice that this idea is carried out in a other ways, too.