Winter Swans Essay Questions

Why is the poem called "Winter Swans?"

Titles shape poems by creating intrigue, offering clues as to what the poem is about, and sometimes casting the subject matter of the poem in a different light. The central focus of the narrative in "Winter Swans" is on the human couple, but the title "Winter Swans" suggests that watching the swans transformed something in the couple's relationship. This is further evidenced by their hands coming together at the end like the wings of a swan.

By identifying the human couple literally and symbolically with the swans, a connection is made between humans and nature. This connection succeeds in healing the couple's relationship. The word "winter" impacts the reading of the poem because winter often symbolizes darkness and endings. Thus the swans are a symbol of beauty, hope, and union in a difficult time.

Though it is never stated directly, we can tell that the couple has been dealing with some sort of turbulence in their relationship. How is this accomplished in the poem?

Consider the poetic techniques and devices that Sheers uses to suggest events without actually stating them.

An important facet of poetry that draws the reader in is the amount of information given in a poem and the way in which it is delivered. When a poem alchemizes a mixture of implication and inference, the result is that the reader has to work a little (but not too hard) to unfold the poem's complexity. The poet must provide just enough clues to succeed in suggesting the events she or he wants the reader to understand. Too few clues or clues clumsily placed will lead to an interpretative gap.

On the other hand, if the information is stated too obviously, the subtlety of the implicit address is lost. The balance between the poet’s job of implication and the reader’s job of inferring in “Wild Swans” is about as perfect as it gets. The opening imagery of the storm breaking, the symbolism of the swans when they appear, the quick delineation of important factual information such as the couple walking silent and apart—together, give the reader everything needed, and not a single detail more, to reach the conclusion that the storm of the preceding two days did not just exist physically, but mentally in the couple's emotional life.

How do light and darkness appear in the poem?

Light and darkness appear both literally and symbolically in "Winter Swans." It is only towards the middle of the poem that they are explicitly stated. The water in which the swans are swimming in is dark, signifying separation. Immersed in darkness, one's sight is obstructed, and this identification of water with darkness connects the earlier description of rain with darkness as well. Winter is also a time of less light in the Northern Hemisphere. This shows that both the swans and the human couple are navigating through times of darkness.

The swans are placed in stark contrast with the dark water: they are "icebergs of white feather" showing that they symbolize something different (Line 11). As they are leaving, the poet describes them directly through metaphor as "porcelain," a hard but delicate white material. To be hard and delicate at the same time is somewhat contrasting, and it suggests the precarious nature of relationships.

Once the swans leave, the couple keeps walking "through the afternoon light" (Line 15). Afternoons imply that the day is beginning to wind down (like winter, another kind of ending), but here there is still light. The word "light" rhymes with "flight," the final word of the poem, showing the transformation that has taken place. For the lyrical moment of the poem, the couple has navigated through their darkness.