Leda and the Swan Notes - 763 Words

Leda and the Swan notes Origins Leda and the Swan was a Greek myth in which the God Zeus transformed into a swan and raped the girl Leda. Different versions of the myth disagree on whether Leda was actually raped or seduced by Zeus. In the myth, Leda gave birth to four children, who hatched from eggs. One of the children was Helen of Troy, the woman the Trojan War was fought over. Analysis on form The poem is a sonnet-it has 14 lines. Each of the lines has 10 beats to it. Yeats plays with a loose rhyme scheme. The general pattern is ABAB CDCD EFGEFG. But some of the rhymes are only slant rhymes, like push and rush, or up and drop. The first nine lines of Leda and the Swan describe the act of rape from Ledas†¦show more content†¦Leda may have known the implications of her rape as the poem suggests she may have taken on some of Zeus’ knowledge as well as his power, but she was powerless to prevent it. Conclusion Leda and the Swan has some of the strongest and most brutal imagery of all of Yeats’ poems, and is rich in historical context, exploring the consequences of the actions in the poem. It explores many themes such as the cycles of nature, destiny and fate, and more supernatural themes such as shape-shifting andShow MoreRelated Yeats’ Leda and the Swan and Van Duyns Leda Essay1770 Words   |  8 PagesYeats’ Leda and the Swan and Van Duyns Leda  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In Greek mythology, Leda, a Spartan queen, was so beautiful that Zeus, ruler of the gods, decided he must have her. Since immortals usually did not present themselves to humankind in their divine forms, Zeus changed himself into a great swan and in that shape ravished the helpless girl (Carey 58-59). 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