The Wild Swans at Coole Summary and Line by Line Explanation
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 6 – The Wild Swans at Coole Summary, Explanation along with Difficult Word Meanings from Kaleidoscope Book Poetry
The Wild Swans at Coole Summary – Are you looking for the summary, theme and lesson explanation for CBSE 12 English (Elective) Poem 6 – The Wild Swans at Coole from English Kaleidoscope Book Poetry. Get Lesson summary, theme, explanation along with difficult word meanings
CBSE Class 12 English (Elective) Poem 6- The Wild Swans at Coole
-W.B. Yeats
‘The Wild Swans at Coole’ by William Butler Yeats is a poem reminiscing about the lost past. In it, the speaker watches a group of swans at Coole Park in Ireland. The swans symbolize the passage of time and the speaker’s aging. He contrasts the swans’ lasting beauty with the changes he faces in his life. This poem is often seen as a sad reflection on lost youth and the temporary nature of beauty.
- The Wild Swans at Coole Summary
- The Wild Swans at Coole Summary in Hindi
- The Wild Swans at Coole Theme
- The Wild Swans at Coole Explanation
- The Wild Swans at Coole Poetic Devices
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The Wild Swans at Coole Summary
The speaker talks about autumn. He notices how the leaves change color gradually, from green to gold, red, amber, and even purple. The trail through the woods is dry. It is an October evening, and Coole Lake reflects the calmness of the sky. Fifty-nine swans swim in the lake, surrounded by stones.
The speaker thinks about time. He has seen nineteen autumns, or nineteen years since he first went there and counted the swans. In the early years, before he could finish counting, the swans would fly off in all directions, making loud noises with their wings. Now, after all this time, he feels a deep sadness as he watches these beautiful birds.
So much has changed since he first stood by the lake in the evening, hearing the wings of the swans overhead like bells. Back then, he felt lighter. The swans, however, continue to glide through the cold water in pairs and fly up into the sky. They still have strong spirits, and their love has lasted through time. Wherever they go, their love remains loyal.
Now, the swans float gently on the calm waters of Coole Lake. Even though they are still unknown to people, their beauty captures attention. The speaker wonders about the future. He thinks about where the swans will build their nests and which lakes or ponds they may visit. He also wonders if one day he will wake up to find that the swans have left Coole Lake, sharing their beauty with others.
Summary of the Poem The Wild Swans at Coole in Hindi
वक्ता शरद ऋतु के बारे में बात करते हैं। वह देखता है कि कैसे पत्तियों का रंग हरे से सुनहरे, लाल, एम्बर और यहां तक कि बैंगनी रंग में बदल जाता है। जंगल के माध्यम से रास्ता सूखा है। यह अक्टूबर की शाम है, और कुल झील आकाश की शांति को दर्शाती है। पत्थरों से घिरी झील में 59 हंस तैरते हैं।
वक्ता समय के बारे में सोचता है। उन्होंने उन्नीस शरद ऋतुएँ देखी हैं, या उन्नीस साल बाद जब वे पहली बार यहाँ आए और हंसों की गिनती की। शुरुआती वर्षों में, इससे पहले कि वह गिनती पूरी कर पाता, हंस सभी दिशाओं में उड़ जाते थे, अपने पंखों से तेज आवाज करते थे। अब, इतने समय के बाद, वह इन खूबसूरत पक्षियों को देखकर गहरा दुख महसूस करता है।
जब से वह पहली बार शाम को झील के किनारे खड़ा हुआ था, तब से बहुत कुछ बदल गया है, जब वह हंसों के पंखों को घंटी की तरह सुन रहा था। उस समय वह हल्का महसूस कर रहे थे। हालाँकि, हंस जोड़े में ठंडे पानी के माध्यम से उड़ना जारी रखते हैं और आकाश में उड़ते हैं। उनके पास अभी भी मजबूत आत्माएं हैं, और उनका प्यार समय के साथ बना हुआ है। वे जहां भी जाते हैं, उनका प्यार वफादार रहता है।
अब हंस कूले झील के शांत पानी पर धीरे-धीरे तैरते हैं। भले ही वे अभी भी लोगों के लिए अनजान हैं, उनकी सुंदरता ध्यान आकर्षित करती है। वक्ता भविष्य के बारे में सोचता है। वह इस बारे में सोचता है कि हंस अपने घोंसले कहाँ बनाएँगे और वे किन झीलों या तालाबों में जा सकते हैं। वह यह भी सोचता है कि क्या एक दिन वह जागकर देखेगा कि हंसों ने अपनी सुंदरता दूसरों के साथ साझा करते हुए कुल झील छोड़ दी है।
Themes of the Poem The Wild Swans at Coole
Passage of Time
W.B. Yeats, in The Wild Swans at Coole, explores the theme of the passage of time and personal change in the poet’s life by observing a flock of swans. As he watches their timeless beauty, he contrasts their unchanging nature with his own aging and evolving life. Nature is eternal with its reference to ‘still sky’ and ‘still water’ whereas human life is temporal with its reference to ‘twilight’ and ‘autumn’.
Inevitability of Aging
In The Wild Swans at Coole, the main theme is the inevitability of aging. The swans, which remain beautiful and unchanging, contrast with the speaker’s awareness of his aging. This highlights the passing of time and the personal loss that comes with growing old. The swans represent youth and timeless beauty, while the speaker’s observations remind him of his aging and mortality.
Longing for a Lost Past
In The Wild Swans at Coole, W.B. Yeats reflects on his youth by observing the swans swimming in the lake. These swans represent the eternal beauty of nature in contrast to the poet’s aging and sense of loss. The swans, symbols of timelessness, emphasize the poet’s sorrow as he watches their unchanging grace while he undergoes personal transformation. The swan also represents Yeats’ love for Maud Gonne, but she rejects him. As he got older, Yeats was able to move on from this love, but he still cherished her memory. Similarly, the speaker values the sight of swans on the water, even though it brings him sadness. The fifty-ninth swan is Yeats, who is lonely without love.
The Wild Swans at Coole Poem Explanation
Stanza:
The trees are in their autumn beauty, A
The woodland paths are dry, B
Under the October twilight, the water C
Mirrors a still sky; B
Upon the brimming water among the stones D
Are nine-and-fifty swans. E
Word meanings
woodland: land covered with trees.
twilight: evening
stillness: silence and quietness
brimming: be full to the point of overflowing.
Explanation of the above stanza— The speaker describes that it is the autumn season, and trees change the color of their leaves from green to gold, crimson, amber, and even jewel-toned purple. The path through the woods is dry. It is an October evening, and the Coole Lake reflects the deep silence and calmness of the sky. Upon the overflowing water of the Coole lake surrounded by the stones, swim the fifty-nine swans.
In this stanza, the poet portrays the timeless beauty of swans; he contrasts their unchanging nature with his own ageing and evolving life. Nature is eternal with its reference to ‘still sky’ and ‘still water’ whereas human life is temporal with its reference to ‘twilight’ and ‘autumn’. Yeats uses the swans as a metaphor for the eternal beauty he sees in nature, love, and imagination. While everything else around him seems to be dying and aging, the swans remain the same, unchanged in time and always full of life. The dry paths, the autumn season, and twilight symbolize that he is no longer in his youth, though he is still not in the darkness of death quite yet. The dry paths symbolise the passage through time and life of humans where everything changes and dies, while in the swans’ universe, everything seems to remain unchanged, and life is eternal and always full of mystery and beauty. Yeats’ quest for understanding the mystical through Occultism (the study of the secrets of the universe and the connections among all things). Yeats uses the reflection of the sky mirroring the lake to show mystical theories.
Stanza:
The nineteenth autumn has come upon me G
Since I first made my count;
I saw before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.
Word meanings
mount: climb up
scatter: throw in various random directions.
wheeling: fly in a wide circle or curve.
clamorous: making a loud and confused noise.
Explanation of the above stanza— The speaker talks about the time that has passed. He had passed through nineteen autumns, which means nineteen years had passed when he came to this place and counted the swans. At that time, before the speaker could finish the counting, all the birds would fly away in huge broken circles by using their noisy wings.
The speaker’s act of counting the swans signifies his meticulous observation of the passing of time and his conscious awareness of his aging process. The swans flying in broken circles show mystical theories of occultism, which W.B. Yeats was learning about. These theories suggest that life consists of interlinked circles and cycles, from birth to death. Yeats has used onomatopoeia in ‘Clamorous Wings’ as it imitates the sound of the swans’ wings flapping, giving a rhythmic quality to the poem. ‘Clamorous’ describes a loud, echoing sound like the flapping of wings that creates a noticeable noise. It is often used to convey a sense of intensity and vivacity in the movements, particularly when referring to birds taking flight.
Stanza:
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.
Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.
Word Meanings
looked upon: to consider or think of someone or something in a particular way
twilight: evening
shore: the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or other large body of water.
trod: walk in a specified way.
tread: walk in a specified way.
unwearied: not tired or becoming tired.
paddle: a short pole with a broad blade at one or both ends, used without a rowlock to move a small boat or canoe through the water.
companionable: friendly and sociable.
streams: a small, narrow river.
conquest: victory over something
wander: walk or move in a leisurely or aimless way.
Attend upon still: be devoted to something, even if it changes or moves away.
Explanation of the above stanza—The speaker describes that his heart aches to see these swans (‘brilliant creatures’), after nineteen years. Everything has changed since he first stood on the shore in the evening and heard the swans beat their wings like bells over the speaker’s head. At that time, he used to walk with lighter steps. The swans are still not tired; in pairs, they paddle in the cold yet friendly river and fly in the sky. With time, their hearts haven’t turned old. Their life is still filled with passionate desires as their love has won against time. Anywhere they go, their love is unwavering or devoted.
The swans, symbols of timelessness, emphasize the poet’s sorrow as he watches their unchanging grace while he undergoes personal transformation. Yeats has used onomatopoeia in ‘bell-beat’ as it imitates the sound of the swans’ wings flapping, giving a rhythmic quality to the poem. Yeats has used an oxymoron in ‘cold Companionable’ where cold means coldness or distance while companionable, which suggests warmth and closeness, highlighting the contrast between the swans’ seemingly unchanging, loving companionship despite the cold water that they inhabit. The phrase “the light tread” refers to how the poet used to walk about nineteen autumns ago. At that time, he was a free man and could go anywhere, just like the swans. Now, as he watches the swans, he feels sorrow (‘sore’) because old age has taken over. He can no longer walk freely. His mind and body do not allow him to do so anymore.
Stanza:
But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
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?
Word Meanings
drift: be carried slowly by a current of air or water.
rushes: nest
edge: the outside limit of an object, area, or surface.
delight: happiness
flown away: to move or go away gradually or suddenly.
Explanation of the above stanza— Now, the swans are carried slowly on the still water of Coole Lake; these swans are unknown to humans yet beautiful enough to catch their attention. The speaker is contemplating the future. He wonders where the swans would build their nest, in an enclosed area, to which lake or pond. The speaker wonders if he woke up one day only to find the swans had flown away from Coole and their sight brought pleasure to other men.
Yeats used oxymorons in ‘Mysterious Beautiful’ to portray the swans as unknown yet beautiful enough to catch human attention. ‘Mysterious’ suggests a sense of secrecy or obscurity, while ‘beautiful’ implies something openly appealing and clear to perceive. The beauty and mystery of swans are that their behaviour has not changed over the years. The poet believes that the swans’ beauty comes from how they behave. They still move gracefully, show love, and stay close to each other. The mystery lies in the fact that humans often struggle to understand the strength of love and friendship, while these swans do understand it. This is what makes it seem mysterious to the poet.
The Wild Swans at Coole: Poetic Devices
Alliteration
In alliteration, consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables are repeated to grasp the reader’s attention, making them focus on a particular line or section. Some of the instances where Yeats has used alliteration are ‘bell-beat’, ‘still sky’, ‘lover by lover’, ‘cold Companionable’, ‘wander where’
Assonance
Assonance is a figure of speech that is characterised by the use of words with similar vowel sounds. Yeats uses Assonance in instances like ‘autumn beauty’, ‘Delight men’s eyes’ and ‘Passion or conquest’.
Consonance
Consonance is the poetic device that uses words with similar consonant sounds in a sentence or a particular context. W.B. Yeats uses Consonance in instances like ‘The trees are in their autumn beauty’, ‘the October twilight the water’, ‘Mirrors a still sky’, ‘great broken rings’, ‘the brimming water among the stones’, ‘Trod with a lighter tread’, ‘Attend upon them still’, ‘But now they drift on the still water,/Mysterious, beautiful’ and ‘The first time on this shore’.
Imagery
Imagery is a literary device that uses figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or to paint a picture for the reader with words. Some of the instances where Yeats has used imagery are the description of autumn beauty, where the ‘woodland paths are dry’, the lake ‘Under the October twilight the water’ ‘Mirrors a still sky’ and its ‘brimming water among the stones’. The swan’s flight imagery is ‘All suddenly mount’ and ‘scatter wheeling in great broken rings/ Upon their clamorous wings’.
Personification
Personification is a poetic device that gives human qualities to animals, objects, or ideas. It is a type of metaphor that helps readers relate to abstract ideas. Yeats personified the heart in lines like ‘my heart is sore’ and ‘Their hearts have not grown old’. He has given the swans human-like emotions and movements. Their hearts are filled with feelings of love and ambition, which are human traits. It often feels like the swans represent people the narrator has lost but remembers with fondness.
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a literary device that combines two seemingly contradictory words to form an often thought-provoking concept or idea. Yeats has used oxymoron in ‘Mysterious Beautiful’. ‘Mysterious’ suggests a sense of secrecy or obscurity, while ‘beautiful’ implies something openly appealing and clear to perceive. He also used an oxymoron in ‘cold Companionable’ where cold means coldness or distance while companionable, which suggests warmth and closeness, highlighting the contrast between the swans’ seemingly unchanging, loving companionship despite the cold water that they inhabit.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the poetic device of creating or using words that include sounds that are similar to the noises the words refer to. Yeats has used onomatopoeia in ‘clamorous wings’ and ‘bell-beat’ as it imitates the sound of the swans’ wings flapping, giving a rhythmic quality to the poem.
Symbolism
Symbolism is a literary device where characters, objects, actions, or ideas are ingrained or associated with a deeper meaning beyond the literal sense. The swans symbolise the passing of time and the poet’s aging. The poem is set in autumn, which symbolizes the middle age of the poet’s life.
The poet’s love for the swan represents Yeats’ love for Maud Gonne, but she rejected him. As he got older, Yeats was able to move on from this love, but he still cherished her memory. Similarly, the speaker values the sight of swans on the water, even though it brings him sadness. The fifty-ninth swan is Yeats, who is lonely without love. The dry paths, the autumn season, and twilight symbolize that he is no longer in his youth, though he is still not in the darkness of death quite yet. The dry paths symbolise the passage through time and life of humans where everything changes and dies, while in the swans’ universe, everything seems to remain unchanged, and life is eternal and always full of mystery and beauty.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not applicable. Yeats uses the swans as a metaphor for the eternal beauty he sees in nature, love, and imagination. While everything else around him seems to be dying and aging, the swans remain the same, unchanged in time and always full of life.
Allegory
An allegory is a story that has a deeper meaning, often related to morals, spirituality, or politics. The Wild Swans at Coole includes hidden themes and represents Yeats’ quest for understanding the mystical. Occultism involves studying the secrets of the universe and the connections among all things. Mastering these ideas is thought to give people special, magical abilities. Yeats uses reflections and symbols, like the sky mirroring the lake and the swans flying in broken circles, to show mystical theories. These theories suggest that life consists of interlinked circles and cycles, from birth to death.
Conclusion
The poem “The Wild Swan at Coole” by W.B Yeats is an insight into the temporal world of humans and the eternal aspects of nature. This post is designed to help the students understand the poem better, providing explanations for difficult words to enhance comprehension. It also includes a summary of “The Wild Swan at Coole”, which will assist class 12 students in quickly reviewing the content.
Very useful, detailed explanation