1. What do you think swans could be symbols of? 2. What do the four different seasons often represent in literature? 3. Where do you see yourself in twenty years’ time? 4. Where do you think poets (and all types of artists) get their inspiration from?
COMPREHENDING AND RESPONDING
1. Describe the setting of this poem. 2. What image do you picture, having read the first stanza?
3. Is there any significance to the fact that there are ‘nine-and-fifty swans’, in your opinion?
4. What does the poet mean when he writes: ‘The nineteenth autumn has come upon me/ Since I first made my count’?
5. In stanza three why do you think the poet describes his heart as ‘sore’? Refer to the poem to support your answer.
6. What contrasts does the poet make between himself and the swans? Support your answer with reference to the poem.
7. In the last stanza what do you think the swans could be a symbol for? 8. What, in your opinion, is the tone of this poem? 9. Discuss Yeats’ use of rhyme and sound effects throughout this poem. 10. What do you think is the main theme of this poem? Explain your answer.
CREATING
1. You wish to enter this poem in an international poetry competition for the best Irish poem ever written. Write a letter to the judging panel explaining why you believe ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’ should win.
2. Write a short story in which the central character returns to a significant place after a nineteen-year absence.
3. Write an article for a popular magazine exploring society’s unhealthy attitude towards growing older, and giving advice to your readers on how to age gracefully.
4. Write a blog entry in which you consider what real talent is and where it comes from.
