Wild Swans Flashcards
Coole Park was located…
…in County Galway and was the home of Lady Gregory who was a patron of the arts and one of Yeats closest friends.
Yeats home was at…
…Thoor Ballylee which was just 3 miles away.
There were … stanza each consisting of … lines.
(5) (6) each written in a roughly iambic meter, with the first and third lines in tetrameter, the second, fourth and sixth lines trimeter and the fifth line in pentameter.
Rhyme scheme -
a-b-c-b-d
First published
1917
The poem according to this structure is similar to that of a…
…lyrical song or a ballad, as strong emotion is released in a sort of pitiful confession.
The repetition of words with energy, such as…
…“clamour”, “beat”, “paddle” and “scatter” are emphasised to convey his own frustration towards the swans and his own bad life choices.
The alliteration of…
‘C’ sounds further demonstrates his frustration. E.g, “cold/Companionable streams” or “Climb the air”.
Link: Leda and the Swan.
Grace of the swans.
” And now my heart is sore”
After watching the brilliant creatures he admits his envious state of mind. He often indicates his regret at not being able to consummate his relationship with Maud but this is the first time he especially declares the emotional connection he has with her, strong enough to cause home physical pain.
“When I awake some day, To find they have flown away”.
Swans are constant metaphor for Maud. Maud is his muse, and when she dies some day, he is unsure what he will do. Worried about what the future holds. Link to cat and moon.
“Great broken rings upon their clamorous wings”.
Could symbolise Maud’s rejections. Rings he gave her…
“Clamour”
Church bells
