Leda and the Swan
A sudden blow: the great wings beating still
Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed
By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,
He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.
How can those terrified vague fingers push
The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?
And how can body, laid in that white rush,
But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?
A shudder in the loins engenders there
The broken wall, the burning roof and tower
And Agamemnon dead. Being so caught up,
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?
Summary of Leda and the Swan
- Popularity of “Leda and the Swan”: The poem ‘Leda and The Swan’ was written by William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet. The piece by the poet is interesting and dates back to 1923. It, however, first appeared in the month of June in 1924 in a magazine, The Dial. Later, Yeats included it in his collection that appeared in the same year under the title of The Cat and the Moon and Certain Poems. However, the poem’s popularity is derived from its mythical relations with the Irish national struggle.
- “Leda and the Swan” As a Representative of Sex and Violence: The poet opens the poem with the swan beating his wings on the girl. The perpetrator of the sexual assault was Zeus, who had taken the guise of a swan. The aggressive attack endures as his wings pound against the girl and his feet snatch her. He exerts his superiority by placing his beak on her neck. The girl was the target of Zeus’ sexual advances, which constituted an assault. The poet wonders if Leda has enough power to prevent her own ruin. In another rhetorical question, he answers that the fast-paced motion of the swan’s feather may prevent her from experiencing the beat of his body. Despite this, it is evident that the swan has accomplished the act of impregnating her with Helen when the swan shudders. The poet alludes to the great Agamemnon and the fall of try. The poem inquires if Leda comprehended the magnitude of that moment or if she was cognizant of Zeus’s dominance before her descent.
- Major Themes in “Leda and the Swan”: Abuse, violence, sex, desire and free will are four major themes of the poem. Although this is a historical event, the significance of abuse and its consequences become clear by the end of the poem when the poet refers to Agamemnon. This abuse through violence and the “shudder” makes things clear that sexual desire is uncontrollable, even if it is linked to gods. Nonetheless, the issue of free will is a significant one to consider, given that if Helen’s birth was predestined, and it ultimately led to the downfall of Troy, it’s likely that she received some sort of forewarning from Zeus.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In Leda and the Swan
literary devices serve as a means for writers to impressively convey their thoughts. Yeats also used some literary devices in this poem and the analysis is as follows.
- Allusion: It means to refer to some event, phenomenon or belief or idea of some historical importance such as Swan, here refers to Zeus and Agamemnon to King Agamemnon.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ in “By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill”.
- Alliteration: The poem shows the use of alliteration in the shape of initial consonant sounds of the neighboring words, such as the sound of /h/ in “he holds” and the sound of /b/ in “brute blood”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /s/, the sound of /t/ and the sound /l/ in “He holds her helpless breast upon his breast” and the sound of /r/ and the sound of /n/ in “the broken wall, the burning roof and tower.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Yeats has used imagery in this poem such as “By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill”, “So mastered by the brute blood of the air” and “Before the indifferent beak could let her drop.”
- Personification: The poem shows the use of personifications of body as if it has emotions and life of its own.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows the use of symbols of thighs, feathers, and heart to show the act of rape.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Leda And The Swan
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows the use of classical references to form heavy diction with serious and tragic tone.
- Free Verse: The poem is a sonnet having ABABCDCD EFGEFG rhyme scheme.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This sonnet has its two parts: octave and sestet.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from ‘Leda and The Swan’ are appropriate to quote when talking about the feminine empowerment.
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?
