Summary of "The Wild Swans at Coole" by Yeats.

Yeats is a modern poet but his 'Lake Isle of Innisfree' is written in the romantic tradition. One of Yeats's major preoccupation was with old age. "The Wild Swans at Coole" expresses the poet's urge to identify himself with the swans. Though he himself has grown old, he finds the swans in their full vigour as he had found them nineteen years ago. The vision of the swans given him satisfaction that youthful vigour is not lost. But the poem ends on a note of anxiety. Should the swans fly away one day what would bring solace to the poet? In a sense then the poem exemplifies the urge for youth and vigour with the coming of old age. This is indeed a tragic situation man.