Yeats’ poetry provocatively reflect the changing nature in humanity both physically and emotionally to a partial extent as it transcends the barrier of time.
I love this first sentence except "partial extent" I'm just a little unsure about the wording...partial more or less means incomplete, not fully, etc. So when you say to a partial extent, I'm wondering immediately why not to the full extent? Based on my own knowledge of the poems, I would say this is indeed a true representation, to a full extent. Also, in "to what extent" questions you don't have to qualify the "extent" but just speak about the way the poet does something with your modality, make that your judgement. As poetically demonstrated, his introspective ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ (1917) explores the persona’s desire for immortality.
Beautiful. Similarly, ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’ (1918), an elegy to Major Robert Gregory who died during World War I,
It's up to you, there's no harm in leaving this tiny plot description in here but it also doesn't need to be here and could fit into a body para. Up to you! conveys the ambivalence in his motivation for going to war. Conversely, both poems also examine the certainty of mortality; suggested in ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ as the persona is soothed by knowledge that the swans’ immortality is an illusion. This is similarly portrayed in ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’ through his equanimity in the face of death, leaving us as critical audiences wonder Yeats’ effectiveness in his portrayal of uncertainty.
Absolutely wonderful! This is a great intro, I'm being picky with it to find things to adjust. Congrats!Yeats’ ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ explores the desire for immortality, as the persona envies the swan’s permanence and perfection, reflecting humanity’s desire for perfection and vitality. This is revealed in the physical states of the swans, who travel “unwearied still, lover by lover”, with the use of symmetrical syntax indicating the harmony and perfection of the swans.
Further, the description of the swans as “beautiful” and “mysterious”, with the use of reverential tone and rough iambic meter, emphasises the persona’s admiration of their enduring condition, reflecting the desire for balance and permanence.
Moreover, as the swans “now drift on the still water”, the shift of tone and repetition of “still” reiterates the unchanging nature of the swans, where “their hearts have not grown old” metaphorically symbolising the swans’ emotional immutability with their ability to “paddle in the cold companionable streams” oxymoronically referencing Yeats’ unrequited love for Gonne, accentuates the persona’s desire of immortality.
Thus, Yeats’ effective examination of the persona’s desire for perfection and vitality, has enforced my understanding that despite immortality, like Gonne’s love for Yeats is uncertain, his desire is rigid and unchanging.
I've underlined further, moreover, and thus. Each sentence begins with one of these words and it isn't necessary, in fact I think it jars the flow a little. Your writing is so wonderfully articulate, you don't need these connections from one to the next. Your analysis is strong, you describe the quote, technique, and link, very succinctly so you aren't waffling at any time. However, I think the unique attack on the question lacks. In the last sentence it's brought back in, but I'd like to know exactly what the changing times/uncertainty are/is. Is it about Maud? Is it about the changing poetic movement? Is it about Yeats' personal ageing and inspiration? Identify this earlier in the paragraph. We are introduced to Gonne early, but I really think the first two sentences are a great place to establish this. Otherwise, the para is perfect!Whilst ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ expresses the desire of the persona’s permanence, ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’
however construes the pilot’s ambivalence in his motivation of going to war. His uncertainty between duty and desire,
perfect! is projected in the anaphora and ironic use of “those that I fight I do not hate/ those that I guard I do not love” as he is balancing the regimented nature for war but also his passion for flying, symbolising his internal ambiguity.
Further, as the pilot reflects on his reason for war, where “nor law, nor duty bade him fight”, the anaphora of “nor” negates all the conventional reasons for fighting in the war, as “a lonely impulse of delight” reinforces the uncertainty of his motivation suggested by an oxymoronic “lonely impulse”.
Moreover, the apathetic motivations of the persona’s involvement in the war is reiterated in “I balanced all, brought all to mind” as the parallelism indicates the persona’s balanced consideration of life and death, where both are equally important. In my understanding, Yeats’ skilful use of poetic expressions has exemplified the airman’s ambivalence in his motivation for going war, reinforcing the notion of uncertainty to his audiences.
An extremely eloquent paragraph...beautiful! Really hard to fault. Conversely, ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ explores that the persona is soothed by knowledge that the swans’ immortality is just an illusion, as Yeats demonstrates life’s transience, eloquently reflecting his internal melancholy after the rejection of Iseult Gonne. The persona’s decaying nature is construed in the seasonal imagery of “Autumn” and “October Twilight” alludes to the time of transition and change, suggesting the end of life. This is reinforced by the textual reference of the gyre in “great broken rings”, where the disturbance of nature is indicated by the broken rings, suggesting the declination and imperfection of the swans.
Furthermore, the persona’s contrast of himself to the “nine-and-fifty Swans” emphasises the mortality of the swans as the use of hyperbaton in the sentence reflects the irregularity in life, coupled with the odd number of “fifty-nine”, whilst swans mate eternally, suggesting the distance between the mortal and the immortal contrasting against persona’s “heart which is sore now”. The monosyllabic words create a monotonous, dreary tone, reinforced by the diction “now”, reiterating the persona’s current state of decline.
Finally, the rhetorical question on the final line of the poem, “to find they have flown away” elucidates that despite being a symbol of eternity and perfection, the swans are no longer perfect or immortal as “they have flown away”. Yeats’ skilful manipulation of the swans’ immortality being an illusion, enhances my understanding on the inevitability of nature’s cycle.
Another beautiful paragraph. Similarly, Yeats’ ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death” exemplifies the certainty in the face of death, as the airman has accepted his death by volunteering for war. The high modality, definitive tone in
the declaration, “I know that I shall meet my fate” reinforces the airman’s certainty of mortality, highlighting his embracement of death, supported by the aerial imagery of “cloud”, holding heavenly connotations. Furthermore, the notion of death is highlighted in “no likely end could bring them loss or leave them happier than before”. Life is suggested to be in a constant of equilibrium, supported in the structured rhythm by the iambic tetrameter, emphasising the certainty of mortality in war, despite the effectiveness of its outcome. Moreover, the use of chiasmus in “years to come… years behind” suggests his peaceful state of mind as he is on the equivalence point between past and future, creating a cyclical image which parallels to Yeats’ beloved gyre. This is epitomised in the final line of the poem, “in balance with this life, this death”. The repetition of “this” coupled with the juxtaposing concepts of life and death, further emphasises the inevitable, cyclic nature of life where mortality is certain. Hence, the airman’s certainty of death has deepened my view on the antithetical outlook on the nature of life.
Thus, W.B Yeats’ confronting and emotional poems have echoed in the minds and hearts of his audiences through the transcendence of time. The provocative portrayal of both certainty and uncertainty are both present in his ‘Wild Swans at Coole’ (1917) and ‘An Irish Airman Foresees his Death’ (1918) to a certain extent, however, the certainty of death evidently out balances the uncertainty that exists in both personas, leading me as a critical audience finding Yeats’ portrayal of uncertainty as ineffective.