Understanding the Poem
1. How do the ‘trees in their autumn beauty’. dry woodland paths’, ‘October twilight’, still sky’ connect to the poet’s own life?
2. What do ‘the light tread’ and ‘the sore heart’ refer to?
3. What is the contrast between the liveliness of the swans and human life?
4. What contributes to the beauty and mystery of the swans’ lives?
Answer:
1. The ‘trees in their autumn beauty,’ ‘dry woodland paths,’ ‘October twilight,’ and ‘still sky’ all contribute to a setting that mirrors a time of transition and perhaps a sense of quiet contemplation in the poet’s own life. Autumn often symbolizes the later stages of life, a time for reflection on what has passed. The ‘dry woodland paths’ suggest a journey nearing its end, and the ‘October twilight’ and ‘still sky’ create an atmosphere of peace, perhaps tinged with a hint of melancholy that resonates with the poet’s aging and reflective state. The stillness of the sky might also contrast with the movement and change the poet is observing in the swans.
2. ‘ he light tread’ likely refers to the poet’s younger self, experiencing the sight of the swans for the first time with a sense of youthful energy and perhaps a lack of awareness of the passage of time and the changes it brings. In contrast, ‘the sore heart’ signifies the poet’s present emotional state, marked by an awareness of these changes and a sense of loss or sadness (“All’s changed since I…”). The repeated observation of the swans over nineteen years has brought about this poignant realization.
3. The contrast between the liveliness of the swans and human life lies in their apparent timelessness and freedom from the burdens of aging and emotional weariness that the poet experiences. The swans are described as “unwearied still,” their hearts having “not grown old.” They continue their cycles of love, movement (“paddle in the cold companionable streams or climb the air”), and instinctual drives (“passion or conquest, wander where they will, attend upon them still”) without the sense of loss or change that affects the poet. This highlights the transient nature of human experience compared to the seemingly perpetual vitality of nature.
4. Several elements contribute to the beauty and mystery of the swans’ lives:
- Their visual presence: They are described as “brilliant creatures” drifting on the “still water,” creating a striking image.
- Their natural behavior: Their sudden mounting and scattering in “great broken rings” with “clamorous wings” adds a dynamic and awe-inspiring quality.
- Their cyclical nature: The poet has observed them for nineteen autumns, suggesting a timelessness and a connection to the natural rhythms of the seasons.
- Their unknown future: The questions posed in the final stanza (“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?”) 1 create a sense of mystery about their destinations and their continued impact on the world, independent of the poet’s observation. Their ability to fly away also adds to their enigmatic nature, suggesting a freedom and a life beyond human comprehension.
Language Study
Notice the rhyme scheme in the poem. Do you notice a consistent pattern? We use a new sound at the end of the lines. The rhyme scheme for the first stanza is given alongside the lines. Do it for the rest of the poem.
Answer:
Second Stanza:
I saw, before I had well finished, F All suddenly mount G And scatter wheeling in great broken rings H Upon their clamorous wings. G I have looked upon those brilliant creatures, I And now my heart is sore. J
Third Stanza:
All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight, K The first time on this shore, L The bell-beat of their wings above my head, M Trod with a lighter tread. L
Fourth Stanza:
Unwearied still, lover by lover, N They paddle in the cold O Companionable streams or climb the air; P Their hearts have not grown old; O Passion or conquest, wander where they will, Q Attend upon them still. R
Fifth Stanza:
But now they drift on the still water, S Mysterious, beautiful; T Among what rushes will they build, U By what lake’s edge or pool T Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day V To find they have flown away U
You’re right! While the first stanza presents an AB CB DE rhyme scheme, the subsequent stanzas reveal a less consistently structured pattern. We see rhyming couplets (GG in the second stanza), alternating rhymes (KLML in the third stanza, NOPO in the fourth), and even some lines that don’t rhyme with any others in their immediate stanza (like I, J, Q, R, and S). The final stanza also shows an alternating rhyme (UTVU).
This variation in rhyme scheme contributes to the poem’s overall effect. The more traditional rhyme in the first stanza might reflect an initial sense of order or observation, while the looser patterns in the later stanzas could mirror the speaker’s evolving emotions and the more complex reflections on time and change. It’s interesting how the soundscape of the poem shifts as the speaker’s thoughts deepen!