FULL POEM - SCROLL DOWN FOR LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS
The clouds had given their all –
two days of rain and then a break
in which we walked,
the waterlogged earth
gulping for breath at our feet
as we skirted the lake, silent and apart,
until the swans came and stopped us
with a show of tipping in unison.
As if rolling weights down their bodies to their heads
they halved themselves in the dark water,
icebergs of white feather, paused before returning again
like boats righting in rough weather.
‘They mate for life’ you said as they left,
porcelain over the stilling water. I didn’t reply
but as we moved on through the afternoon light,
slow-stepping in the lake’s shingle and sand,
I noticed our hands, that had, somehow,
swum the distance between us
and folded, one over the other,
like a pair of wings settling after flight.
LINE-BY-LINE ANALYSIS
STANZA 1
The clouds had given their all –
two days of rain and then a break
in which we walked,
The weather throughout the poem is a pathetic fallacy for the couple’s relationship. In this first stanza, the intense rainfall is a metaphor for anger and tension in their relationship, suggesting an argument in these ‘two days’ prior to their walk. The rain can also be interpreted as reflecting tears shed by the couple during their argument. The ‘break [in the rain] in which [they] walked’ mirrors how the argument between the two has ended (also highlighted by the caesura at the end of the first line) and they are now out for a walk in an attempt to resolve the enduring tension, similar to how the ground dries in the dry following a spell of rainfall.
STANZA 2
the waterlogged earth
gulping for breath at our fee
The ‘waterlogged earth’ is a metaphor for the unresolved issues still present in the couples’ relationship. The earth’s personified as ‘gulping for breath’ which reflects both the sound it makes underfoot. The earth struggling to breathe is also a metaphor for the couple’s relationship struggle for survival – on this walk the couple struggles to resolve their issues to keep their relationship alive like a drowning person struggles for breath to keep themselves alive.
as we skirted the lake, silent and apart,
This line matter-of-factly portrays the couple’s issues in a literal sense, as opposed to through pathetic fallacies. It clearly gives an insight into the physical and emotional separation of the couple as well as the tension in their relationship. The way the ‘skirted the lake’ reflects how they are skirting around their issues, for now opting to avoid them by remaining silent.
STANZA 3
until the swans came and stopped us
The personification of the swans suggests that the speaker interprets their obstruction to be a natural intervention, orchestrated by Mother Nature in an effort to initiate a resolution of the couple’s issues.
with a show of tipping in unison.
As if rolling weights down their bodies to their heads
The togetherness of the swans is a symbol of unity, contrasting with the couple’s physical and emotional separation. Sheers uses the simile, ‘as if rolling weights down their bodies to their heads’ to describe the way in which the swans enter the water first with their head, then neck, followed by the rest of their body. As well as perfectly capturing the swans’ elegance and gracefulness, it metaphorically foreshadows resolution of the couple’s differences – as they unburden themselves of the weight of their problems.
STANZA 4
they halved themselves in the dark water,
icebergs of white feather, paused before returning again
like boats righting in rough weather.
In a literal sense, this stanza describes the swans pausing half-submerged in the water so that the part of their bodies above the surface resemble ‘icebergs of white feather’, ‘before returning again’ to the surface ‘like boats righting in rough weather’. The imagery of the swans as ‘icebergs of white feather’ signifies a lack of honesty between the couple, with them keeping secrets hidden from one another, similar to how the base of an iceberg is concealed beneath the surface. However, continuing with the extended metaphor, there is a glimpse of optimism as the swans are described as re-emerging from the water with the simile ‘like boats righting in rough weather’. In terms of the couple’s relationship, it implies that they can recover from their conflict (for which the ‘rough weather’, which links to the ‘two days of rain’ from the first stanza, is a pathetic fallacy) and re-establish a newfound equilibrium, whereby they can continue to be happy together.
STANZA 5
‘They mate for life’ you said as they left,
porcelain over the stilling water. I didn’t reply
The speaker’s partner breaks the silence – the first step towards resolving their issues. Watching the swans on the lake has reminded them of the fact that ‘they mate for life’, in turn reminding them of the natural phenomenon of relationships and why they are so important to mankind and nature as a whole. The elegant imagery of ‘porcelain over the stilling water’ to describe the swans flying over the lake signifies the resilience, beauty and purity of their relationship (symbolised by the strong, white ceramic material porcelain which is used for exquisite tableware and decorative ornaments).
but as we moved on through the afternoon light,
The ‘afternoon light’ is a symbol of hope – foreshadowing a happy conclusion.
STANZA 6
slow-stepping in the lake’s shingle and sand,
The sibilance creates a soft, gentle tone when spoken which reflects the softening severity of their argument as they are on the path to resolving it.
I noticed our hands, that had, somehow,
swum the distance between us
Their hands having ‘swum the distance between’ them is a metaphor for the couple joining hands and references the swans and how they have played a vital role in their reconciliation. Consequently, their hands joining and bridging the distance between them marks the end of their separation, both physically and emotionally, seen earlier in the poem.
STANZA 7
and folded, one over the other,
like a pair of wings settling after flight.
The final couplet presents the reader with a heart-warming resolution, describing the couple’s hands with the simile, ‘like a pair of wing’ which paints a picture of their newfound unity. The ‘wings settling after flight’ suggests stability, from which it can be inferred that the couple remains committed to each other going into the future.
