The Wild Swans at Coole (1917) William Butler Yeats By Sophie, Heli, Danielle, Jacalyn, Misty

There is a whiskey chocolate cream company named after this poem called Coole Swan. It is only made in Ireland and encourages responsible drinking.

Poem Reading 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?

Background The title poem of two collections of poems Lyric Poem Written in 1917, near the end of WWI Written when Yeats was staying with Lady Gregory at Coole Park Collection of poems are dedicated to Lady Gregory’s son, Major Roberts Gregory -collection of poems(1917 and 1919) -lyric poem- expresses personal feelings or emotions -1917-William Butler Yeats was 52 years old -Coole Park: A nature reserve in Ireland Lady Gregory: Co-founded Irish Literary Theater and Abbey Theatre with Yeats Robert gregory: British Airman lost during World War I

Structure Five 6-line stanzas Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDD The meter changes from line to line Shows inconsistency while still maintaining a formal structure throughout the entire poem

WB Yeats was the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation”. His brother later surpassed his accomplishment by medaling in the art portion of the Olympics

In William Butler Yeats’ “The Wild Swans at Coole”, Yeats uses a metaphor of swans to represent disillusionment, which conveys a wistful tone of matured emotional consciences. TALK ABOUT WISTFUL TONE TALK ABOUT EMOTIONAL ASPECT TALK ABOUT POLITICAL ASPECT MATURITY VS INNOCENCE (self-actualized)

Literary Techniques Ideas Swan Symbolism Theme is disillusionment and detachment Wistful tone Theme of maturity vs. innocence Symbolism of numbers Nature imagery Motif of stillness Represents innocence that he both envies and admires Uses swans and nature as a metaphor to describe his own personal and wistful view of the world Critique of overly emotional connections to the world

Commentary Nature Imagery: Vivid nature imagery with references to “trees” and their “autumn beauty” Emphasizes speaker’s deep connection to nature Water Imagery: Uses imagery of water to represent literal and figurative “reflection” Swan Symbolism: Represent the youth that is lost Fly away before he has finished counting “Wheeling” = circle usage Number Symbolism: “Nine-and-fifty” creates sense of incompleteness “Nineteenth autumn” demonstrates old age 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.

Nostalgic/Sorrowful Mood: “All’s changed” & sore heart creates nostalgic mood and desire for the past Back to reality Love Diction: Passionate affection for the swans; unrequited love Creates sense of loneliness Swan Symbolism: Idolizes the swans while they go on with normal lives; disillusionment Traits that have left him; creates contrast Motif of Twilight Signifies the end of a day Yeats’s use of time in poetry Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDD Emphasizes insightful nature of speaker 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? Repetition Repetition of “still” in poem Emphasizes emptiness of speaker’s life; no excitement Contrasts energy of swans Rhetorical Questions Asks about what the swans will do Certainty of them leaving Motif of Time Frequent diction regarding beginning and ending of time periods “Awake” = realization Swan Symbolism Sadness of the inevitability of aging and loss of youth

Dominant Quotes Explained “Upon the brimming water among the stones / Are nine-and-fifty swans” Not only does the theme of incompleteness develop here, but Yeats alludes to the religious significance of the number 60. Swans symbolize elegance, grace, but mostly are figures of timelessness. This is ironic, given that Yeats uses the word “still” multiple times in the poem. “Their hearts have not grown old; / Passion or conquest, wander where they will, / Attended upon them still” Yeats uses the concept of the swans to juxtapose his own life, revealing his discontentment. Yeats uses words like “passion” and “wander”, which characterizes swans as beings of beauty and free will. “By what lake's edge or pool / Delight men's eyes when I awake some day / To find they have flown away?” Yeats ends the poem with a wistful tone, depicting the difference between the speaker and the swans, who are separated. The motif of stillness juxtaposes the swans ability to escape and “fly away”.

Significance After marrying Georgie Hyde-Lees, Yeats and his wife experimented with “automatic writing”. Therefore his work, “The Wild Swans at Coole”, provides a more personal reflection of his life, rather than a political commentary. “I have looked upon those brilliant creatures, And now my heart is sore” (Yeats) Many scholars believe that this period of his writing exemplifies his abandonment of “Celtic and esoteric influences” (Encyclopædia Britannica) . Addresses “reality and imperfections” during this stage

Discussion How does “The Wild Swans at Coole”, technically, stylistically, and structurally, compare to Yeats's other poems? Use specific examples.

Discussion What is the most dominant literary device in this poem, in your opinion? Why is it effective?

Discussion What is the effect of Yeats choosing swans to be the main image of the poem?

What is your favorite line(s) from this poem, and why? Discussion What is your favorite line(s) from this poem, and why?

Noun Adjective Preposition En-Dash Phrase

Exit Slip - Mad Libs! The NOUN are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are ADJ , PREPOSITION the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming NOUN among the stones Are N-DASH PHRASE NOUN.

Works Cited Editors, The. “William Butler Yeats 101 by The Editors.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/70241/william-butler-yeats-101. Mead, Wendy. “William Butler Yeats.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Oct. 2016, www.biography.com/people/william-butler-yeats-9538857#! The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “William Butler Yeats.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Aug. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/William-Butler-Yeats.