Owen Sheers is a Welsh poet whose work uses nature to symbolize human affairs, emotions, and relationships. First published in Sheers's 2006 collection Skirrid Hill, “Winter Swans” is a poem about a couple experiencing issues in their relationship.
The poem begins with the couple walking beside a lake. Sheers uses images of nature to reflect the couple's relationship and emotions. They suddenly notice two swans moving in unison that look as if they are ready to carry any burden together. This makes the couple reflect on their own relationship and shorten the distance that has grown between them. The poem’s main theme is the connection between humans and nature. A personified nature reflects the anguish between the couple, but it also teaches them to resolve their issues.
Skirrid Hill was well received. It won a Somerset Maugham Prize, was the recipient of the 2018 Wilfred Owen Poetry Award, and was long-listed for the Welsh Book of the Year. Roughly translated, the title of the collection means "Great Shattered Hill." This expresses the theme of separation present throughout. "Winter Swans," often anthologized perhaps because of its elegant simplicity and beautiful imagery, deals with this theme of separation, but also offers the possibility for reconciliation.
