1. Discuss how Yeats presents power in ‘Leda’.
In ‘Leda and the Swan’ (‘Leda’) Yeats presents the theme of
power as being something that we are both drawn towards
and destroyed by. This contrast drives much of his work as we
see him articulate this very human contradiction between
desire and destruction: it is what makes the poem resonate
with the reader.
The poem Yeats opens the poem with the graphic act of
penetration. (if starting with first line) Yeats opens the poem
by capturing a sense that ... (what he says in the first stanza).
Linguistically OR start with a comment on tone - for
example - Graphically, Horrifyingly, Violently, Intensely,
Cruelly, Yeats encapsulates the horror of the scene by his
choice of language. He states that Leda feels ‘A sudden
blow: the great wings beating still’
He states that Leda feels ‘A sudden blow’ as ‘the great
wings’ [of the swan are] ‘beating still’. The adjective
‘sudden’ is used to highlight the unexpected nature of the
rape and it seems to surprise both Leda and the reader.

2. Here, Yeats reflects the manner in which humans are
metaphorically raped by the Gods, or forces beyond our
control, and are never truly aware of our own fragility or
vulnerability. The whole poem is an exploration of this
concept/idea/concern and echoes the failings of humans in
‘September 1913’ as society have become reduced to
‘fumbl[ing] in a greasy til’ and have lost sight of anything
great or noble. Their failure is inevitable – like Leda’s.
In addition, the ‘great[ness]’ of the swan is contrasted to
the way in which she is ‘beat[en]’. The repetition of this
‘beating’ in the second stanza seems to reflect the way in
which the swan his oppressed Leda by force at the start and
the structure of the poem appears to crumble beneath the
weight of the swan’s aggression. WRITE A BIT MORE
Evaluate how effective a device or the stanza/line is...
EG. By opening the poem in this fashion Yeats manages to
effectively shock and disturb the reader. We are forced to
experience the most violent part of the rape and in this way
are left in a state of confusion – much like Leda.

3. The conclusion needs to be SHORT – same as intro.
What you find most effective and why. What the big
themes are.
Yeats questions the very nature of human existence in this
poem. Our inability to understanding our place in the world
means that we will always be vulnerable and hurt. This
concept is deeply upsetting and pessimistic and leaves us
feeling a sense of betrayal and anger both at the Swan (for
his cruelty), Leda (for her credulity) and Yeats (for opening
our eyes to this!)