The Wild Swans at Coole-Stanzawise Analysis

Stanza 1

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.

 Paraphrase
The trees look beautiful in their autumn colours, and the paths through the woods are dry. It is an October evening, and the calm surface of the lake reflects the motionless sky. On the full lake, among the stones, the poet sees fifty-nine swans. The whole scene is peaceful, still and visually beautiful.

Stanza 2

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.

 Paraphrase
Nineteen autumns have passed since the poet first counted the swans at Coole Park. As he tries to count them again, the swans suddenly rise from the water before he can finish. They scatter into the sky and fly in large, incomplete circles. Their wings make a loud noise as they move energetically through the air.

Stanza 3

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.

Paraphrase

The poet has admired these bright and beautiful swans for many years, but seeing them now fills him with sadness. His life has changed greatly since the first time he stood on the shore and heard the rhythmic sound of their wings above him. At that time, he was younger, happier and more energetic, and he walked with a lighter step.

Stanza 4

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.
Paraphrase
The swans still appear tireless and youthful. They swim in pairs through the cold, friendly streams or rise freely into the sky. Their capacity for love, energy and enthusiasm has not weakened with time. Wherever they go, passion, courtship and the desire for achievement continue to accompany them. Unlike the poet, they seem untouched by ageing.

Stanza 5

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?
Paraphrase
At present, the swans float gently on the calm lake, looking mysterious and beautiful. The poet wonders where they may build their nests in the future and beside which lake or pool they may live and give pleasure to other people. He fears that one day he may wake up and discover that they have left Coole Park and flown away.

Overall Paraphrase

The poet visits Coole Park on a calm autumn evening and sees fifty-nine swans on the lake. Their beauty and energy remind him that nineteen years have passed since he first saw them. During that time, he has grown older and his life has changed, while the swans still seem youthful, passionate and tireless. Their lasting vitality makes him aware of his own lost youth. Finally, he fears that even these beautiful birds may one day leave, making him realise that beauty and happiness cannot be possessed forever.