How does Yeats make use of structure and symbolism to express ideas about the passing of time in

his poem, ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’?

Yeats’ poem the Wild Swans at Coole is a reflection on human mortality when faced with the

passing of time, and the timeless beauty that resides in nature that confronts it. The notion of

change is explored through the tripartite structure as the persona reflects on the past before

musing about a future where the beauty of the swans will no longer his to witness.

The first stanza introduces the natural locale, signifying a time of change. Yeats describes

the trees as being in their ‘autumn beauty’, representing the passing of time, as well as the

nostalgia that comes with aging, on both the part of the persona and nature before the finality of

winter. The idea of a transition is further reinforced in the third and fourth lines where ‘twilight the

water/Mirrors a still sky’’. The use of the word twilight, the period between two states of day, is

symbolic of the that change, and when used in conjunction with “mirrors a still sky”, a sense of

clarity is provided to the persona about the state of their own life. However, while Yeats paints a

picture of serenity, imagery is used to create an underlying tension in the setting. The use of the

word “brimming” to describe the water among the stones provides the poem with a sense of

energy, and while unstated, the intense yellows and reds of Autumn leaves clash with the

tranquillity of the scene. Yeats introduces the symbol of the swans in the final line of the first

stanza, a representation of both eternity

In the second movement of the tripartite structure the persona reflects on the time he has

lost to the years, in contrast with the swans, who serve as an image of timelessness and beauty.

The second stanza recounts the persona’s attempt to count the swans, in order to stabilise elusive

nature of beauty. Yeats provides the swans with power though his choice in diction, describing

them in their disturbed state as to “suddenly mount/And scatter in great broken rings”. The words
“scatter” and “mount” connotes a disorder, but the use of the word “wheeling” provides the swans

with a sense of majesty amid the chaos. The auditory imagery conjured by the phrase “clamorous

wings” creates harshness of sound though onomatopoeia in the word “clamorous”. This creates

tension in the poem as Yeats expresses the notion of beauty as being fleeting.

The third and fourth stanza introduces the persona’s feelings towards mortality and change,

and the yearning he feels towards the swans, a symbol of perennial youth and immutability. The

swans are described as “brilliant creatures” which in turn causes the persona’s remark that his

“heart is sore.” The end-stopping allows a pause for reflection, finishing the line with plaintive tone.

The persona’s solitary state is emphasized by the use of the singular “my” which is contrasted by

the swans “lover by lover”. There is a key sense of yearning as the persona recognises the

difference between the swans and himself, with the persona being subjected to change. The half

rhyme, in the line “trod with a lighter tread” suggests a sense of heaviness the persona has

developed over time. This is in contrast with the swans, which are described as “unwearied still”,

unlike the persona. While the persona is subjected to the whims of nature, time, and change, Yeats

suggests that the swans have a control over their environment through the oxymoron

“cold/Companionable streams”. The use of the word “cold” connotes unfriendliness, yet the swans

find it “companionable” as they paddle with their lovers. The phrase “climb the air” connotes

freedom, lightness and a sense of unrestraint as the swans “wander where they will”. Yeats

suggests that the swans possesses dominion over the fluidity of water and freedom of air, while the

persona is bound to the earth.

The final stanza, and the final movement of the tripartite structure, Yeats concludes that

consolation and the transcendence of human mortality can be found within art. Yeats reiterates the

image of the swans as “mysterious, beautiful” on the “still water”. The repetition of the word ‘”still”
suggests that the persona is drawn to their permanence, and through facing own mortality, can the

persona truly appreciate the beauty of the eternal found within the swans. While the final rhetoric

“to find that they have flown away?” conveys a poignant sense of loss, reconciliation can be found

in the fact that the persona has beared witness to the swan’s message of beauty, which they will

then pass on to “delight” the “eyes” of others.

Yeats uses the tripartite structure to lament the passing of time, but through the symbolism

of the swans, Yeats explores the notion that consolation can be found with a sense of total loss.

Yeats suggests that solace lies within the continuity of art; it is in knowing that when one can no

longer continue to bear witness to its beauty, it still exists within the eyes of others.