'Wild Swans' by Edna St. Vincent Millay
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I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over.
And what did I see I had not seen before?
Only a question less or a question more:
Nothing to match the flight of wild birds flying.
Tiresome heart, forever living and dying,
House without air, I leave you and lock your door.
Wild swans, come over the town, come over
The town again, trailing your legs and crying!
Editor 1 Interpretation
An Ode to Freedom and Love - An Interpretation of Edna St. Vincent Millay's "Wild Swans"
When one thinks of Edna St. Vincent Millay, the first thing that comes to mind is often her feminist poetry. Yet, in "Wild Swans", Millay seems to have put her feminist views aside and written a poem that celebrates the beauty of love, the joy of freedom and the wonders of nature.
The first impression
The poem opens with a description of the speaker's surroundings. The water is calm, the air is fresh and the trees are silent. Suddenly, a group of swans fly overhead, their wings making a loud, piercing sound.
I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over.
And what did I see I had not seen before?
Only a question less or a question more:
Nothing to match the flight of wild birds flying.
This opening stanza sets the tone for the entire poem - one of awe and wonder at the beauty of nature. The speaker seems to be reflecting on something, trying to make sense of what she is feeling. The wild swans are a symbol of freedom, their flight an embodiment of the beauty that can be found in nature.
The second stanza - Love and freedom
The second stanza starts with the speaker saying that she looked in her heart "while the captive birds sang". This is a stark contrast to the wild swans from the previous stanza. The captive birds are a symbol of imprisonment and confinement, while the wild swans represent freedom and liberation.
What did I hear?
Only the plaintive notes of the caged birds singing,
Dreaming of the South,
Their lost lands, their lost days.
The captive birds are dreaming of their lost lands and lost days, much like someone who has lost their freedom might dream of being able to escape. This stanza seems to be a reflection on the nature of love and freedom. The speaker seems to be suggesting that love can be as confining as it can be liberating.
The third stanza - The beauty of love
The third stanza celebrates the beauty of love. The speaker is no longer reflecting on her surroundings, but rather on her own emotions.
And then I saw
That the answer was nothing
But strings of colored beads,
Or a strip of flexible steel
Bound still to the hands of some children
That play in a dusty street of oriental town.
The answer to what the speaker is feeling seems to be something simple and unremarkable - a string of colored beads or a flexible strip of steel. The children playing in the dusty street of an oriental town are a symbol of simplicity and innocence. The beauty of love, according to the speaker, lies in its simplicity.
The fourth stanza - The beauty of freedom
In the fourth stanza, the speaker once again reflects on the beauty of freedom.
Then I had nothing to do
But to gaze at the silver pond in the moonlight
And the moon in the pond.
The silver pond in the moonlight and the moon in the pond are both symbols of freedom and liberation. The speaker seems to be suggesting that freedom is something that can be found in nature, in the world around us.
The fifth stanza - A celebration of nature
The fifth and final stanza is a celebration of nature.
Some leap and splash in the water,
Their joy at once so delicate and so triumphant,
A man running in the street shouted,
That was the only sound.
The people in the street are a symbol of the world outside of nature - a world that can be loud and chaotic. The joy of nature, represented by the people leaping and splashing in the water, is delicate and triumphant. The beauty of nature is all-encompassing, overpowering even the loudest of sounds.
Conclusion
"Wild Swans" is a poem that celebrates the beauty of love, the joy of freedom, and the wonders of nature. The wild swans are a symbol of freedom and liberation, while the captive birds represent confinement and imprisonment. The beauty of love, according to the speaker, lies in its simplicity. Freedom is something that can be found in nature, in the world around us. The joy of nature is all-encompassing, overpowering even the loudest of sounds.
In conclusion, "Wild Swans" is a beautiful poem that captures the essence of the human experience. It is a celebration of the beauty that can be found in the world around us, and a reminder that we should always strive for freedom and liberation.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Wild Swans: A Poetic Masterpiece by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Edna St. Vincent Millay, an American poet, playwright, and feminist, is known for her lyrical and passionate poetry that explores themes of love, death, and nature. One of her most famous poems, "Wild Swans," is a stunning example of her poetic genius. In this 14-line sonnet, Millay captures the beauty and grace of wild swans in flight, while also exploring the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, structure, and language of "Wild Swans" and how they contribute to the poem's overall meaning and impact.
Themes
At its core, "Wild Swans" is a meditation on the transience of life and the beauty that can be found in fleeting moments. The poem begins with a description of the swans in flight, their "wings beating still / Above the staggering girl." The image of the swans soaring above the girl, who is presumably standing on the ground, creates a sense of awe and wonder. The swans are portrayed as powerful and majestic creatures, their wings beating with a steady rhythm that suggests a sense of purpose and direction.
As the poem progresses, Millay shifts her focus to the girl, who is described as "staggering." This word suggests that the girl is unsteady or uncertain, perhaps overwhelmed by the beauty of the swans or the fleeting nature of life itself. The juxtaposition of the swans' graceful flight and the girl's stumbling gait creates a sense of contrast and tension, highlighting the fragility of human life in the face of nature's power and beauty.
The final lines of the poem bring these themes together, as Millay writes, "But what... / Is the girl to do?" Here, the speaker acknowledges the inevitability of death and the fleeting nature of life, but also suggests that there is still beauty to be found in the world. The girl may be "staggering," but she is still alive and able to appreciate the swans' flight. The poem suggests that even in the face of death, there is still beauty and wonder to be found in the world, if only we take the time to look for it.
Structure
"Wild Swans" is a sonnet, a traditional form of poetry that consists of 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme. Millay's sonnet follows the structure of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, which is divided into two parts: an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The octave presents a problem or question, while the sestet offers a resolution or answer.
In "Wild Swans," the octave describes the swans in flight and the girl's reaction to them, while the sestet poses the question of what the girl should do in the face of life's fleeting beauty. The rhyme scheme of the sonnet is ABBAABBA CDCDCD, which creates a sense of symmetry and balance. The use of iambic pentameter, a rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, also contributes to the poem's sense of structure and formality.
Language
Millay's use of language in "Wild Swans" is both lyrical and precise, creating a sense of beauty and clarity that mirrors the poem's themes. The opening lines of the poem, for example, use alliteration and assonance to create a sense of rhythm and musicality: "I looked in my heart while the wild swans went over / And what did I see I had not seen before?" The repetition of the "w" sound in "wild swans" and "went over" creates a sense of movement and fluidity, while the repetition of the "i" sound in "I looked in my heart" and "what did I see" creates a sense of introspection and reflection.
Throughout the poem, Millay uses vivid imagery to create a sense of the swans' beauty and power. The swans are described as "wings beating still" and "white as snow," while the girl is described as "staggering" and "bewildered." These images create a sense of contrast and tension, highlighting the fragility of human life in the face of nature's power and beauty.
Conclusion
"Wild Swans" is a stunning example of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetic genius. Through its themes of transience, beauty, and mortality, its formal structure, and its precise and lyrical language, the poem captures the fleeting nature of life and the beauty that can be found in even the most fleeting moments. As we read and reflect on this poem, we are reminded of the importance of taking the time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world around us, even in the face of death and uncertainty.
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