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

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

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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”.

13. 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

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

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

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

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

18. Noun Adjective Preposition En-Dash Phrase

19. 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.

20. Works Cited
Editors, The. “William Butler Yeats 101 by The Editors.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,
Mead, Wendy. “William Butler Yeats.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Oct. 2016,
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “William Butler Yeats.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 17 Aug. 2017,