More Yeats

I am finding it somewhat difficult to interpret Yeats’s poetry. I found it easier to understand after reading some of his background information. I noticed that there are repeating themes throughout his poetry. A few themes that I noted are destruction, fishing, the moon, and magic. Destruction can be found in “Nineteen Hundred and Nineteen.” He describes how all the beautiful belongings have been destroyed and how the nightmare from this is everywhere. Drunken soldiers murdered mothers without punishment. Everything is being destroyed in the war. It seems as if Yeats had mixed feelings about the independence movement. The footnotes were very helpful in understanding this poem.

I was unfamiliar with the Greek myth of Leda and Zeus. After reading the myth I was able to understand and make the connections. The swan raped Leda, and she becomes pregnant with Helen of Troy, which foreshadows the burning wall. I also believe the rape of Leda is symbolic for Ireland being “raped” by England. I like the idea that Yeats concludes with a question. This allows the reader to explore all the possibilities. Did Leda find power before the swan let her drop? His poetry can be complicated with the multiple interpretations.