“The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats: A Critical Analysis

“The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats first appeared in 1917, as part of the poetry collection The Wild Swans at Coole.

"The Wild Swans at Coole" by W.B. Yeats: A Critical Analysis
Introduction: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats

“The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats first appeared in 1917, as part of the poetry collection The Wild Swans at Coole. The poem is marked by its reflective and melancholic qualities, capturing Yeats’ deep sense of loss and the passage of time. Set in the tranquil landscape of Coole Park, the poem describes the sight of swans, which serve as a powerful symbol of permanence and beauty amidst the poet’s own aging and emotional decline. The main idea revolves around the contrast between the swans’ timeless vitality and Yeats’ personal feelings of change and mortality, emphasizing the inevitability of life’s transformations.

Text: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats

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?

Annotations: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
LineAnnotation
The trees are in their autumn beauty,The poem opens with a vivid image of autumn, symbolizing beauty, maturity, and the transition of time.
The woodland paths are dry,Dry paths emphasize the season’s tranquility, further suggesting a sense of conclusion or change.
Under the October twilight the waterThe time of day and month enhance the melancholic and reflective atmosphere of the poem.
Mirrors a still sky;The stillness of the sky, reflected in the water, underscores the serenity and calmness of the scene.
Upon the brimming water among the stonesThe swans are present, seen floating on the full water, signifying both constancy and fragility.
Are nine-and-fifty swans.The specific number of swans (59) shows careful observation and possibly the speaker’s emotional investment in their appearance.
The nineteenth autumn has come upon meThe speaker notes that 19 years have passed since his first observation, signaling the passage of time.
Since I first made my count;The speaker reflects on how long he has been counting the swans, signifying a personal connection.
I saw, before I had well finished,The suddenness of the swans’ flight is introduced, disrupting the previous calm.
All suddenly mountThe swans take flight abruptly, emphasizing their vitality and freedom.
And scatter wheeling in great broken ringsThe swans fly in chaotic patterns, a dynamic contrast to the stillness of the water.
Upon their clamorous wings.Their wings make noise as they fly, symbolizing energy and life.
I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,The speaker admires the beauty of the swans, feeling awe yet distance from them.
And now my heart is sore.The speaker expresses sorrow, hinting at feelings of loss and personal change.
All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,The speaker acknowledges that both he and his circumstances have changed over the years.
The first time on this shore,The memory of his first encounter with the swans is brought up, contrasting past and present.
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,The sound of the swans’ wings is described as rhythmic and bell-like, further romanticizing their flight.
Trod with a lighter tread.The speaker remembers his younger, more carefree self, emphasizing the emotional shift over time.
Unwearied still, lover by lover,The swans remain tireless, always seen in pairs, symbolizing constancy and companionship.
They paddle in the coldDespite the cold water, the swans continue to paddle, unaffected by the harshness of time.
Companionable streams or climb the air;Their companionship is noted, whether they are on the water or in flight.
Their hearts have not grown old;Unlike the speaker, the swans retain their vitality and youthful spirit.
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,The swans still embody passion and freedom, unaffected by age.
Attend upon them still.These qualities remain with the swans, whereas the speaker feels they have left him.
But now they drift on the still water,The swans, once again at rest, evoke a sense of mystery and beauty.
Mysterious, beautiful;The swans’ beauty is now coupled with a sense of mystery, representing things beyond the speaker’s grasp.
Among what rushes will they build,The speaker wonders where the swans will go next, hinting at uncertainty about the future.
By what lake’s edge or poolHe imagines the swans might settle elsewhere, evoking feelings of impermanence.
Delight men’s eyes when I awake some dayThe speaker fears that one day he will wake to find the swans have left, symbolizing loss.
To find they have flown away?The poem ends on a note of melancholy, contemplating the inevitable loss of beauty and vitality.
Literary And Poetic Devices: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
DeviceExampleExplanation
Alliteration“bell-beat”Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words to create rhythm and emphasis.
AllusionReference to aging and the passage of time throughout the poem.A subtle reference to life changes and time, drawing from broader themes without directly stating them.
Assonance“The woodland paths are dry”Repetition of vowel sounds within words to create internal rhyming or musicality.
Caesura“All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,”A natural pause within a line that emphasizes a shift in thought or feeling.
Consonance“Mirrors a still sky”Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words, creating harmony or tension in the sound.
Enjambment“I saw, before I had well finished, / All suddenly mount”The continuation of a sentence or clause beyond the end of a line, enhancing flow and natural speech.
Imagery“The trees are in their autumn beauty, / The woodland paths are dry”Vivid descriptions that appeal to the senses, painting a picture of the natural setting.
Metaphor“The bell-beat of their wings”Comparing the sound of the swans’ wings to a bell without using “like” or “as.”
MoodReflective and melancholic tone throughout the poem.The emotional atmosphere Yeats creates, capturing the speaker’s sense of loss and change.
Oxymoron“Great broken rings”A pairing of contradictory terms, illustrating the swans’ flight in chaotic yet structured forms.
Personification“Their hearts have not grown old”Attributing human qualities (ageless hearts) to the swans, symbolizing their vitality.
Repetition“Still water” and “still sky”Recurrence of words or phrases to emphasize tranquility and unchanging aspects of nature.
Rhetorical Question“Among what rushes will they build, / By what lake’s edge or pool?”A question posed not for a direct answer but to reflect on uncertainty about the swans’ future.
Rhyme“sky” and “dry”Correspondence of sounds between words at the end of lines, adding structure and musicality to the poem.
RhythmThe meter of the poem, particularly in the smooth flow of lines like “Under the October twilight.”The beat or cadence in the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating fluidity in reading.
SimileImplied rather than explicit, but the swans’ movements could be interpreted as similar to dancers.A comparison using “like” or “as,” though the poem focuses more on metaphors than similes.
SymbolismThe swans as a symbol of beauty, permanence, and natural vitality.Objects, characters, or elements used to represent larger abstract ideas like youth, time, and change.
Synecdoche“Clamorous wings”Using a part (wings) to represent the whole swans, highlighting their flight and movement.
ToneWistful and melancholic, as seen in lines like “And now my heart is sore.”The attitude of the speaker, conveying a sense of longing and sorrow for the past.
VerseThe poem is written in traditional stanza form.The structural component of the poem, following a regular meter and rhyme scheme.
Themes: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
  1. The Passage of Time: One of the central themes in “The Wild Swans at Coole” is the inevitable passage of time. The speaker reflects on how 19 years have passed since he first observed the swans: “The nineteenth autumn has come upon me / Since I first made my count.” This passage highlights the speaker’s awareness of aging and the fleeting nature of life. The constancy of the swans, which remain unchanged and unwearied, contrasts with the speaker’s own experience of time, leading to a sense of melancholy and loss. The repetition of the autumn setting reinforces the idea of seasonal cycles and the inexorable flow of time.
  2. Change and Loss: Throughout the poem, Yeats reflects on the changes that have occurred in the speaker’s life, particularly his loss of youth and vitality. The line “All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, / The first time on this shore, / Trod with a lighter tread” reveals the speaker’s sense of personal transformation. The swans, on the other hand, seem untouched by time, retaining their beauty and vigor. This sense of loss is further emphasized when the speaker contemplates a future where the swans might leave: “Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day / To find they have flown away.” The speaker is haunted by the possibility that the enduring symbols of beauty and grace may one day disappear.
  3. Beauty and Permanence: The swans are symbolic of beauty, grace, and permanence, qualities that the speaker admires and envies. Described as “brilliant creatures” and “mysterious, beautiful,” the swans seem to possess an ageless vitality that contrasts sharply with the speaker’s growing awareness of his own mortality. Despite the changes in the speaker’s life, the swans remain “Unwearied still,” paddling through “companionable streams” and climbing the air with a sense of purpose and freedom. Their apparent immortality serves as a reminder of the beauty that endures beyond the individual, even as time progresses.
  4. Nature and Its Transcendence: Nature, as represented by the swans and the landscape of Coole Park, transcends the human experience of time and change. The calm, reflective imagery in the opening lines—”The trees are in their autumn beauty, / The woodland paths are dry”—sets the stage for a meditation on how nature, unlike humans, can exist in a state of timeless beauty. The swans, as part of this natural world, remain a constant presence, untouched by the aging that affects the speaker. While the speaker faces emotional and physical changes, the swans “wander where they will,” indifferent to the passage of years, suggesting that nature offers a form of transcendence beyond human limitations.
Literary Theories and “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
Literary TheoryApplication to “The Wild Swans at Coole”References from the Poem
RomanticismFocuses on the beauty of nature and the individual’s emotional response. Yeats draws on Romantic themes of longing, change, and the sublime in nature.“The trees are in their autumn beauty, / The woodland paths are dry” emphasizes the beauty and emotional depth of nature.
ModernismEmphasizes fragmentation, personal reflection, and the disillusionment with traditional ideals. Yeats explores the fragmentation of his own life versus the constancy of nature.“All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, / The first time on this shore” reflects a personal sense of disillusionment and change.
Psychoanalytic TheoryThe poem can be interpreted through the lens of inner psychological conflict, with the swans representing unchanging desires and the speaker’s sorrow as reflective of repressed feelings about aging and mortality.“And now my heart is sore” and “Their hearts have not grown old” suggest a deep internal struggle with aging and desire.
Critical Questions about “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
  • How does Yeats use the imagery of nature to reflect the passage of time in the poem?
  • Yeats uses vivid imagery of nature to symbolize the passage of time and highlight the contrast between the timelessness of the swans and the aging of the speaker. The opening lines—”The trees are in their autumn beauty, / The woodland paths are dry”—set the scene in autumn, a season often associated with decline and the approach of winter. This seasonal imagery, combined with the stillness of the water and sky, creates a contemplative mood that mirrors the speaker’s own reflections on the nineteen years that have passed since he first counted the swans. The swans, however, remain constant, a sharp contrast to the changes that the speaker has undergone, emphasizing the inevitability of aging and the transient nature of human life.
  • What role do the swans play as a symbol in the poem?
  • The swans in the poem symbolize beauty, permanence, and the vitality that stands in contrast to the speaker’s feelings of aging and emotional decline. Described as “brilliant creatures” with hearts that “have not grown old,” the swans represent a timeless, unchanging force in nature. They are able to “paddle in the cold / Companionable streams or climb the air” with ease and freedom, suggesting a sense of continuity and vigor that the speaker feels he has lost. As symbols, the swans embody the natural world’s capacity for renewal and endurance, even as the speaker confronts the inevitable passage of time and his own mortality.
  • How does the poem explore the theme of personal change and loss?
  • Yeats explores the theme of personal change and loss through the speaker’s sense of distance from his past self and the unchanging beauty of the swans. The line “All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, / The first time on this shore” reflects the speaker’s realization that, over time, he has become a different person—one who treads less lightly and views the world through the lens of sorrow. The swans, unchanged after nineteen years, serve as a painful reminder of the speaker’s loss of youth and vitality. This sense of personal loss is further deepened by the speaker’s fear that one day he will wake to find the swans have flown away, symbolizing the eventual loss of beauty and joy in his life.
  • In what ways does the poem reflect Yeats’ broader concerns about aging and mortality?
  • “The Wild Swans at Coole” reflects Yeats’ preoccupation with aging and mortality, themes that recur throughout his later work. The speaker’s sorrowful observation that “now my heart is sore” indicates a deep awareness of his own aging process and the changes that have come with it. While the swans remain ageless and full of life, the speaker is acutely conscious of his diminishing energy and the irreversible passage of time. The poem’s quiet, reflective tone mirrors Yeats’ own contemplation of mortality, and the imagery of the swans—symbolizing continuity in nature—serves as a poignant contrast to the speaker’s sense of inevitable decline.
Literary Works Similar to “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
  1. “To Autumn” by John Keats
    Like Yeats, Keats reflects on the beauty of nature and the passage of time, using autumn as a symbol for maturity and change.
  2. “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats
    This poem explores the contrast between the enduring beauty of the nightingale’s song and the speaker’s awareness of his own mortality, similar to Yeats’ reflection on the swans.
  3. “Sailing to Byzantium” by W.B. Yeats
    Another of Yeats’ works, it delves into themes of aging, mortality, and the desire for transcendence, much like “The Wild Swans at Coole”.
  4. “Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth
    Wordsworth meditates on time, memory, and nature, with a focus on how personal change contrasts with the constancy of the natural world.
  5. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by W.B. Yeats
    In this poem, Yeats also draws upon nature as a source of solace and reflects on a yearning for peace and permanence amidst life’s changes.
Representative Quotations of “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
QuotationContextTheoretical Perspective
“The trees are in their autumn beauty”The opening line sets the scene in autumn, symbolizing beauty and the passage of time.Romanticism – Focus on nature’s beauty and its emotional resonance.
“Upon the brimming water among the stones / Are nine-and-fifty swans”The speaker counts the swans, reflecting his careful observation and connection to nature.Structuralism – The repetition of the number of swans emphasizes structure and continuity.
“The nineteenth autumn has come upon me”The speaker reflects on the passage of time since he first observed the swans.Modernism – The theme of personal change and disillusionment with time.
“I have looked upon those brilliant creatures, / And now my heart is sore.”The speaker contrasts the unchanged beauty of the swans with his own sorrow and aging.Psychoanalytic Theory – Represents the speaker’s internal struggle with aging and loss.
“All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, / The first time on this shore”The speaker recalls a time when he felt more carefree and youthful.Memory and Trauma Theory – Reflects on how memory shapes present emotions.
“Their hearts have not grown old”The swans are described as timeless, suggesting their enduring vitality and strength.Symbolism – The swans symbolize eternal beauty and natural vitality.
“Passion or conquest, wander where they will, / Attend upon them still.”The swans continue to live with passion and freedom, unaffected by time.Romanticism – Emphasizes the idealization of freedom and natural beauty.
“But now they drift on the still water, / Mysterious, beautiful”The speaker admires the swans’ mystery and beauty as they float on the water.Aestheticism – Beauty is emphasized for its own sake, reflecting Yeats’ focus on art.
“Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day / To find they have flown away?”The speaker fears the inevitable loss of the swans and what they symbolize.Existentialism – Suggests the fleeting nature of beauty and life’s impermanence.
“And scatter wheeling in great broken rings / Upon their clamorous wings.”The swans take flight, representing vitality and freedom, contrasting with the speaker’s stillness.Post-Structuralism – The fragmented movement reflects the chaos and instability of life.
Suggested Readings: “The Wild Swans at Coole” by W.B. Yeats
  1. Walker, Tom. “The Wild Swans at Coole (1917, 1919), Michael Robart Es and the Dancer (1921) and the Limits of Portraiture.” The Edinburgh Companion to W. B. Yeats and the Arts, edited by Tom Walker et al., 1st ed., Edinburgh University Press, 2024, pp. 159–76. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/jj.13792689.16. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
  2. Perloff, Marjorie G. “‘Heart Mysteries’: The Later Love Lyrics of W. B. Yeats.” Contemporary Literature, vol. 10, no. 2, 1969, pp. 266–83. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1207765. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
  3. Crotty, Patrick. “Instant Commemoration? Yeats, ‘Easter 1916’ and the Easter Rising.” Journal of Irish Studies, vol. 31, 2016, pp. 3–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24892595. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
  4. Foster, R. F. “Yeats at War: Poetic Strategies and Political Reconstruction from the Easter Rising to the Free State: The Prothero Lecture.” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, vol. 11, 2001, pp. 125–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3679417. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
  5. Fleming, Deborah. “‘All We Know Comes from You’: W. B. Yeats and Ecocriticism.” Nordic Irish Studies, vol. 18, 2019, pp. 56–76. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27041555. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

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