Overview
The Wild Swans at Coole (1919) is a collection of poems by W.B. Yeats. Written while the poet was at the height of his career, The Wild Swans at Coole presents Yeatsā typical concernsāaging, love, and the nature of artāagainst the backdrop of a decade of war. These poems, written during the First World War and the formative years of the Irish independence movement, reflect the harsh political and social realities of the era while remaining true to the mind of one of Irelandās greatest artists.
The title poem, a meditative lyric on art, love, and aging, uses the image of wild swans to reflect the fleeting nature of years and worldly beauty. Having watched the swans for nineteen years, the poet wonders how, after so much time, āTheir hearts have not grown old,ā while āPassion of conquest, wander where they will, / Attend upon them still.ā Disturbed that the world will not reflect his inner torment, he wonders what will happen when, one day, he awakes āTo find they have flown away?ā In āAn Irish Airman Foresees His Death,ā Yeats reflects on the First World War from the perspective of a serviceman doomed by his own conflicting allegiances: āI know that I shall meet my fate / Somewhere among the clouds above; / Those that I fight I do not hate / Those that I guard I do not love.ā Despite this poemās political theme, Yeats includes another poem in the collection that questions the place of poetry in politics altogether. āOn Being Asked for a War Poemā suggests that āA poet keep his mouth shut,ā his words being better suited to āA young girl in the indolence of her youth, / Or an old man upon a winterās night.ā The Wild Swans at Coole is a moving portrait of the poetās anxieties, of his fear of death and aging, of his faint suspicion that poetry, though beautiful, fails to address the issues of the era.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of W.B. Yeatsās The Wild Swans at Coole is a classic of Irish literature reimagined for modern readers.
This book title, The Wild Swans at Coole, ISBN: 9781513270852, by William Butler Yeats, Mint Editions, published by Mint Editions (February 1, 2021) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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