Analysis of William Butler Yeats" "The Wild Swans at Coole".
"The Wild Swans at Coole" is a poem that tells the story of the passing of time and the changes and hardships that come with it. The poem itself is written simply enough, but after careful review one can find that it is much deeper than it seems. The poem uses simple language to tell the story, but the language in itself is very particular and makes several references that one may not catch in one reading. Symbolism is ever present, and can be seen in the swans and the setting of the poem. The theme that is presented by the poem is one that we will all face in life, something that is completely inevitable: change.
Upon first reading the poem, Yeats seemed to paint a fairly tranquil picture with his poem. Beautiful swans gliding across a gentle pond, a peaceful fall setting; these things seem to be very comforting. Upon closer inspection, however, I found that maybe some of the wording he uses may be interpreted quite differently. Autumn, October, and twilight may be more closely related to a coming darkness, or and end, so to speak. They are all very representative of change. Yeats writes of his heartache and how things have changed painfully for him over the years. The swans may seem comforting to him, but like all good things in his life, they all fly away and he is left with nothing once again. He describes how the swans still remain pure and unchanged, even after nineteen years have passed. With some research, one will find that the period in which Yeats wrote this poem was one of turmoil and war, and it may be these hardships, and other life tragedies, that have left him somewhat cold over the years.
Symbolism does play a role in the poem, and can probably be seen the easiest in the swans themselves. Yeats writes that they have not grown cold over time, that they remain youthful and passionate. They are an unchanging element in a world altered by time.