4. Identify the figure of speech in the line – ‘upon their clamorous wings’.
A. Hyperbole
B. Onomatopoeia
C. Synecdoche
D. Both A and B
Answers
Answer:
The Wild Swans at Coole
by William Butler Yeats
The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.
The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
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.
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.
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?
Summary of The Wild Swans at Coole
Popularity of “The Wild Swans at Coole”: This poem was written by William Butler Yeats, a great Irish poet. ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’ is a popular poem about the transience of life. It was first published in 1917. The poem speaks about the infinite beauty of nature. It also reflects how the speaker’s life has transformed since he was a young man and enjoyed these bounties of nature with a lighter tread. It also expresses the changing nature of time and its impacts on mankind.
“The Wild Swans at Coole” As a Representative of Life: This poem is an expression of wonder. The poem begins with the description of the beautiful Coole Park in the autumn. The speaker presents a pictographic image of the place such as; the dry woodland paths, still sky, and trees. Only the brimming water brings this calm scene to life. While reaching the shore of the lake, the speaker sees fifty-nine swans swimming peacefully upon the reflective water. This enchanting sight drags him into the past, making him remember the time when nineteen years ago, he visited the same place and observed the swans when suddenly they flew and scattered in the sky. He feels sorry for their preset state because he realizes that things have changed and so does the vibrant flight of the swans.
However, the unity and beauty of these creatures seem permanent to him. He thinks that even when they take a flight to another place, they provide comfort to another observer. So, very few things in the transient world are eternal.