Blog #2

What does Yeats hope to accomplish with his portrayal of a rape from mythology? What themes does this poem reveal about the present through its portrayal of the past?

1. When I read this poem, I was disturbed. It seems as if Yeats turns the tragedy of rape into artwork when it is nothing of the sort. I understand that it is not really a swan, but rather Zeus in the form of an animal, but why did he do this? Is this to make the reader forget of the rape and turn it into more of a romance or is this done to convince this reader it wasnt really a rape (more of an affair). It made me think of when rapists are caught and how they usually say, "Oh, she wanted it to start off with"especially the line where it says he caressed her thighs. During a rape, a woman would usually put up more of a fight than whats described in this poem, but maybe I'm wrong because this great blow described in the poem could've weakend Leda. Yeats uses words like staggering,terrified, and vague; this may prove that she was either hurt or frozen in fear (or shock). It's beautifully written and I enjoyed reading it (especially after doing some background research) but the major question in my mind is: Out of all the animals in this world, why is Zeus a SWAN?? Maybe, because the swan reminds some of things that are delicate and this adds to the shock factor when we figure out that the swan is raping Leda. I really dont know the reasoning behind this myth, but Yeats wrote his version beautifully and tastefully.
2.Yeats accomplish the task of turning this rape from tragedy to a romance. His usage of such soft language succeeds in making the reader forget the actual act taking place. He makes people think that maybe this wasn't the type of rape we think it is. Something might've taken place prior to this incident. Yeats poem makes me wonder what happened prior to and after the rape. I know Leda give birth to 2 eggs, but was she bitter towards Zeus? Zeus being the powerful god that he was, did what he pleased but I wish I could see into Leda. This romanticizes the past and takes away from the seriousness of the situation. History repeats itself over and over; but, poetry like this will take away from the true meaning and effect of a incident.