The Wild Swans at Coole

Focus: How setting/nature affects the speaker.

Page 69 (lines 1-6)

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.

- In these six lines Yeats uses imagery to show the setting and the affects nature has on the speaker. It is the season of decay, "autumn" at the place where he is, that the "trees" are in their "autumn beauty" and the "woodland paths are dry." This place is at the beginning of its life, could refer to it being the beginning of his too, his youth. The time of day is "twilight", the day is slowing coming to an end and the light is fading. This can refer back to he childhood almost coming to an end, being that "twilight" is the ending of the day. "The water Mirrors a still sky" everything is clam and not moving. When you look down into the water theres no movement. Above all this beautiful imagery is "nine-and-fifty swans". "Nine-and-fifty" is an odd number so one of the swans is alone and without another swan. The speaker is alone and wants to find someone like him. All connects to him being in his youth and it coming to an end.

Page 69 (lines 13 - 18)

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.

- In this third stanza Yeats uses imagery and foreshadow. The speaker describes the swans as "brilliant creatures", this shows how much love he had for the swans.When the speaker says "my heart is sore" his tone is sad. He could be remembering the first time he ever saw the swans. Also in the second stanza he says it is the "nineteenth autumn" meaning it was the nineteenth year after he saw the swans at the first place. "All's changed since I, hearing at twilight" the speaker has "changed" grew out of his youth, he is getting old now and isn't the same young person anymore. The line ""All's changed since I, hearing at twilight" also

...