was an Irish poet and prominent figure of the 20th century who heavily focused on the Romantic as well as mythology. As such, one of his most famous poems, often taught in high school and college, is the graphic "Leda and the Swan." The poem has gained much controversy as it depicts the brutal rape of Leda by Zeus in a very ambiguous manner. Before we get started on the poem, let's look at some of the background info:Author: William Butler Yeats
Written: 1924 C.E.
Published by: the Dial
Poem in a nutshell: "Zeus, in the form of a giant swan, rapes Princess Leda; as a result, their daughter Helen becomes the catalyst for the Trojan War."
Original Text | Modern English Translation |
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 her helpless breast upon his breast. How can those terrified vague fingers push The feathered glory from her loosening thighs? And how can body, laid in that white rush, But feel the strange heart beating where it lies? A shudder in the loins engenders there The broken wall, the burning roof and tower And Agamemnon dead. Being so caught up, So mastered by the brute blood of the air, Did she put on his knowledge with his power Before the indifferent beak could let her drop? | The swan delivers a sudden blow to Leda’s head as he hovers in the air above her. He looms over, his webbed feet pinning her thighs as he captures her neck in his bill. He holds her helpless, quivering body to his. How can Leda’s terrified, confused fingers push the swan’s manhood away from her spreading thighs? And how, in all of this horror, could Leda help but feel and focus on the strange beating heart of the swan? The swan’s orgasm begets the Trojan War which results in the death of Agamemmnon. So enraptured and overpowered by her assailant, did Leda know that this swan was a god? Did Zeus, before coldly releasing Leda, know that their future daughter would start the Trojan War. |
Summary
Stanza I: In the first stanza, Zeus (the King of the Greek Gods, Lord of Thunder and Lightning) strikes Leda, making her stagger and stumble. The reader is not given the specifics of the brute blow, such as where he hits her, but it is clear that the blow was enough to unbalance her. (Also, please note that Yeats never specifies the two subjects of his poem as Zeus or Leda. They, in fact, remain unnamed). As Leda attempts to gather her bearings, the swan takes this opportunity to pin Leda's legs with his feet and capture her neck in his bill.
Stanza II: In the second stanza, Yeats makes it clear that Zeus, in swan form, means to ravage Leda. For, the narrator questions how Leda, weak in comparison to her assailant and terrified, can push away the swan's "feathered glory" (penis) as he forcefully pries open her legs. In addition, the narrator questions how Leda, despite her situation, can focus on and appreciate the swan's beating heart.
Stanza III: In the third stanza, the reader learns that the swan does, in fact, manage to ravage Leda as he orgasms. In doing so, Zeus impregnates Leda. And, as some of you may or may not know, Leda and Zeus's daughter will be the infamous Helen of Troy--the face that launched a thousand ships. The narrator suggests that Zeus's violent sexual encounter with Leda was really the beginning of the Trojan War and the act that sealed Agammemnon's fate. (Agammemnon was killed by Clytemnestra, Leda's daughter by another man and Helen's half-sister).
Stanza IV: In the last stanza, the speaker wonders if Leda knew that she was being ravaged by a god. (There is also a question if Zeus knew that this act would be the indirect cause of the Trojan War.) However, the speaker notes that Leda did not have too much time to ponder on things as Zeus coldly and indifferently drops her/releases her after he has had his way with her.
For more information and in-depth analyses, please visit:
Leda and the Swan summary
Leda and the Swan: Shmoop Poetry Guide
Please feel free to leave your own opinions or analyses of the poem below!
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