Critically evaluate The Wild Swan- W.B. Yeats

       William Butler Yeats was the most famous Irish metaphysical poet and a great Irish dramatist. As supreme symbolist, He was the father of the symbolistic movement. He was a Noble Prize Winner in 1923, composed some of the most respected poetry of 20^th century. Like T.S. Eliot, he was the initiator of the 20^th century poetry.

          The poem ‘The Wild Swan’ is derived form the volume ‘The Wild Swan at Coole’ appeared in 1919. In this poem Yeats considers the problem of the exhaustion of his power with the coming of old age. The poem also tells us about the swans, their youthfulness and beauty. But this narration is a reflection of his mind memories and his disturbed mind at thought of years of beauty and youthfulness that passed away.

          The title ‘Wild Swans’ is an indicative and a suitable. The poem is about the poet’s experience of watching the swans at Coole, his friend Lady Gregory’s house. Thus the title is based on the pictorial image which poet posses in his mind.

          The poem is about aesthetic sense and love for nature. It also makes us aware of his power of observation. The central theme of the poem is philosophical and quite subjective. Poet compares his own dullness and disillusionment of personal life is the description of nature when poet says,

“And now my heart is sore,  

All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight.”

          Here ‘Change’ is the key of human nature. Men feels change as he ripes. Nineteen years ago the poet could feel happy but today he feels the difference as he has grown old. The distance between him and the birds feels his heart with sorrow.

          The poem begins with a very nice delightful description of the Coole park where the tree are without leaves because of the season of autumn and the autumn’s beauty  can be seen in ‘the woodland paths’. The Lake is full of water and total fifty nine swans are swimming in it. It is givens as,

“Upon the brimming water among the stones  

 Are nine and fifty Swans.”

          In the second stanza he writes about the movement and sounds of swans. The swans mount noisily. They make a great willing round. Their wings make clamorous sounds. They beat like a bell. Yeats considers them ‘brilliant creature’.  This is fascinating but this was all when he had seen many years before. Now the poet says.

 “All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight.”

          Here, the word ‘Twilight’ is used for second times. First poet tells ‘October twilight the water’ for good sense and then hearing at twilight for the negativity of the poet.  Now the poet compares his feelings of today with the feelings he had 19 year ago. The only different is that in past those swans are made the poet happy but now all the situations are changed and the same swans make him unhappy.

          In this ways, Nineteen years ago, he could feel happy because he was young and he could feel the companionship with the young swans. But today there is no companionships and feels the difference and hence the sorrow.

          This way, ‘The Wild Swans’ is the glamorous nature poem which presents the altering mood of man. Before nearly twenty years, the poet was pleased with the beauty and delicacy of the birds but now he doesn’t have their comparisons. The distance between him and the birds feels his heart with sorrow. The poem creates joyous atmosphere in a fine dramatic cum poetic manner. Humpherry House says about poem,

“It reveals tension between

the dreamer and the man

of affairs, between the poetic

and the practical life.”