winter swans Flashcards
description
a couple walk around a lake after two days of bad weather. they dont talk to each other and they walk apart from each other – their relationship is troubled
thye stop at the sight of some swans and watch them as they tip underwater– they eventually right themselves and swim away. the swans watch them as they tip underwater–they eventually right themselves and swim away. thw swans display seems to change the mood between the couple.
the couple carry on walking and end up holding hands– they seem to have reconciled.
form
each stanza looks unbalanced. the uneven line lenghts and lack of rhyme scheme also contribute to a feeling of disjointedess–this reflects the troubled nature of the relationship.
final stanza is a couplet which shows that thye’ve been reunited as a couple.
structure
the narrator and his partner are separated for the first five stanzas, but they reunite in the final two
natural imagery
it reflects how their relationship struggles and then improves.
swans are metaphor for their relationship-as they’re part of the natural world , they show that love is natural. this influences the couple– they hold hands so naturally that they dont even notice it happenning.
contrasts
language about disturbance and peac, seperation and togetherness, leaving then returning is used to show how couple are making up after a period of conflict in their relationship.
direct speech
one small piece of dialogue is used in the poem, which shifts the focus back onto the couple. it also breaks the silence– this shows tha there is still hope for their relationship
tension
its clear that something has happened between the narrator and his partner – the earth is “gulping for breath” and they walk “silent and apart”
peace
there is a feeling of peace towards the end of the poem. the couple have their problems, but they return to each other and are settled in the end
