I am a fan of Greek mythology, so I chose to write about this poem for that reason. In Yeats' "Leda and the Swan," the writer chronicles the rape of Leda by Zeus (the king of the Gods). Zeus comes in the form of a swan which is typically known for its beauty, not such a vicious act. So I was somewhat surprised about the pairing.
"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 here helpless breast upon her breast" (Lines 1 - 4)
The words used helped to paint a visual of the breadth of swan's wing span as he engulfs her. The dark webs would be his webbed feet holding her and pressing her against him. She was helpful to fight or get away due to the swan's strength.
"The broken wall, the burning roof and tower
And Agamemnon dead." (Lines 10 -11) This verse describes the burning of Troy and the murder of Agamemnon, the commander of the Trojan war. Some believed the child conceived from this rape, Helen of Troy, was a result of these events.
The last verse says: "Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?" (Line 14 - 15)
This implies she may have the knowledge of a god as well; not just power.
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I'm a former Latin student, so Greek stuff isn't too far off :) Fortunately, I'd never heard about the rape of Leda until this work. The lines you used were graphic in a very... mythological sense? Let's just say I didn't like this poem, just because of the atrocity it was based on, but the part about Helen was eye-opening. I'd never known that, and I used to translate passages about her until I was sick!
ReplyDeleteAngela,
ReplyDeleteVery good exploration of Yeats's mythological sonnet, with good attention to specific passages and possible meanings.
I wrote similarly about this poem. Lines 14-15 ("Did she put on his knowledge with his power / Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?") made me question differently, however. I wondered if she or Zeus knew what would happen because of this rape--the complete destruction of Troy, and the "beginning of the end" of the mythological dominancy.
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