The message of “Leda and the Swan” is often interpreted in drastically different ways due to the ambiguity of the text. Much of this ambiguity can be attributed to the intentional contradiction of the author, William Butler Yeats. This contradiction emphasizes the nature of sexism, as sexism is often described as an incorrect view of the victim. Many of the following critics offer different interpretations of the poem, describing the ambiguous nature of the text and thus the larger theme of sexism in the poem's various pleas for a forced sexual encounter. Johnsen summarizes the poem this way: “Textual/sexual politics has never had a better example than 'Leda and the Swan,' a sonnet that depicts rape as a positive sign of a better future” (Johnsen 80). Johnsen interprets the poem's ambiguity as an indication that Leda embraces the rape as a positive example. Along the same lines, Mckenna states: “The final form of the poem. . . it reaffirms the tragic consequences of Leda’s rape but also affirms her potential for self-awareness” (Mckenna 425). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Like Johnsen, Mckenna agrees that Leda is better because of the experience, but Mckenna also argues that the aftermath of the rape (the destruction of Troy), is what is tragic. Barnwell argues otherwise, stating: "Often read as a rape poem, 'Leda and the Swan' offers perhaps the clearest example of the extreme importance of Yeat's copulating 'personae' who act and are acted upon in various ways to learn certain lessons” (Barnwell 63). Barnwell therefore argues that the poem's focus on rape and the ambiguity of the text offers several possibilities as to who the victim really is. Leda and Zeus could both be victims, or neither. Finally, Neigh argues: “When I take Yeats's sonnet personally and pursue my identifications with the text. . . I identify with Leda and her experience of sexist victimization” (146). Neigh differs drastically from both Barnwell and Johnsen in that he portrays Leda as the sole victim. Empson contributes the following: “Ambiguity occurs when a statement says nothing…so that the reader is forced to invent statements of his own and they are likely to conflict with each other” (Empson 176). Each critic has substantial and compelling evidence for their argument, but they all interpret the poem's depiction of a forced sexual encounter in quite different ways. Arguably, it is the intentional contradiction in “Leda and the Swan” that creates ambiguity, creating a larger theme of sexism due to its undermining of oppression. of women. In Yeats's description of a sexual encounter, there is perhaps an unavoidable ambiguity due to the nature of the poem itself, creating a contradictory effort to clearly depict a forced sexual encounter. The result of this ambiguity creates a weakening of the feminine; a theme of sexism. Holden describes the inevitable undermining as follows: “Poetry that attempts to describe sexual intercourse in concrete detail usually disappoints and may offend” (83). As Holden describes, an artist's effort to depict a sexual encounter without it being interpreted in different ways is somewhat inevitable. Holden explains that since sexual encounter is a form of absolute knowledge, poetry is also not equal in addressing it exactly, instead, it can simply point towards a concept of sexual encounter. (84). This idea can be seen in “Leda and the Swan,” where an artist's depictions of a forced sexual encounter become confusing tobecause of the inevitable layers found in good poetry. Barnwell notes the following: "Leda" is indeed a profound and provocative dramatization of the ambiguities of the sexual encounter for Yeats, and questions as well as responds to the main premise of his pattern of thought: the idea of ​​a perfect order in the universe that supports, guides, and affirms all human endeavors in various ways. (62) Barnwell argues that sexual encounters are inherently ambiguous, and in "Leda and the Swan," the ambiguity serves as a question to sexism as to whether or not men are guided and therefore excused for their actions because of a pattern bigger. Scott describes various interpretations of a forced sexual encounter in art as such: "Whether intentional or not, people can and do not see the oppression of women because they cannot see macroscopically and therefore cannot see the various elements of the situation as systematically related in larger patterns” (16). “Leda and the Swan” the weakening of the feminine is created through the highly ambiguous nature of the poem, which can be attributed to the contradictory nature of the ambiguous poem and the absoluteness. of the sexual encounter. The theme of violence in "Leda and the Swan" contrasts with the theme of eroticism, creating an ambiguity that confuses Leda's oppression, and therefore can be interpreted as a broader representation of sexism. The poem describes a rape scene and, unintentionally or not, allows for a more permissive view on the representation of sexual violence, seen in the poem's erotic diction and ambiguity towards victimization. This is seen in lines such as the following, “The glory feathered from his loosening thighs” (Yeats 6). There is a paradox of sorts discovered in "Leda and the Swan," in which the reader's effort to understand a possible example of rape culture - which Scott identifies as "the myth of uncontrollable male sexual desire serves to secure the right male sexual access to women by presenting it as a natural need, thus reinforcing the expectation of women's sexual availability”--is mixed with passion and the erotic (340). The abduction of Leda by Zeus describes this circumstance; Zeus's attraction to Leda led to him taking her forcefully and “indifferently” to satisfy his uncontrollable needs (Yeats 15). form of power or knowledge. “Did he highlight his knowledge with his power?” (14). An idea of ​​misdirection is represented in “Leda and the Swan”, where a violent action is strongly contrasted by erotic descriptions. . This duality between violence and eroticism creates an ambiguity that represents issues related to sexism, where the victim is often marginalized due to misdirection of attention. The style of the poem, particularly the point of view and structure, portrays intentional contradictions that create ambiguity and undermine the feminine. The point of view in “Leda and the Swan” invites ambiguity with its duality of perspective. Neigh states, “The detached third-person narrator ironically invites rather than discourages identification, because the narrator gives no direction” (148). Neigh argues that the reader is forced to identify at different times with both the swan and Leda. This contradiction in perspective undermines Leda's position and represents a larger theme of sexism. Furthermore, both perspectives, the swan and Leda, shift moods that are contradictory to each other. “One point worth noting is the change in mood of both Swan and Leda. At the beginning of the poem, Swan was passionate, while Leda was terrified and helpless. At the end of the poem, Leda is overcome by passionof Swan, while Swan becomes indifferent” (Modern English Literature 11). Furthermore, the poem is breathless in its structure; with the first verse consisting of four lines and a single sentence. The first three words of “A sudden blow,” followed by a colon, create rapidity because all subsequent lines are a plea, a list, to the statement “a sudden blow” (1). Additionally, commas are spaced to reinforce the flow of the verse. This anxiety created already in the first verse reflects a passion contradictory to the rape scene and Leda's fear. A sense of indecision is just as created as the next stanza is a list of rhetorical questions. “How can those terrified, vague fingers push/ The feathered glory from her loosened thighs?/ And how can the body, lying in that white rush/ But feel the strange heart beat where it lies?” (5-8). When the narrator asks these questions, it creates an ambiguity towards victimization and ultimately undermines Leda and her situation. The passionate and breathless structure of the poem, while describing a forced sexual encounter, adds to the ambiguity as to what level is actually forced. The third stanza, like the first, is a full sentence. This rapidity is followed by the last stanza, which parallels the structure of the second stanza in its list of rhetorical questions, finally concluding the poem with a question: “He clothed his knowledge with his power / Before the indifferent beak could leave ?" his drop?" (14-15). By ending with a question, the entire poem takes on an indecisive air. By depicting ambiguity in point of view and structure, the poem creates a larger theme of sexism in undermining Leda and her position as a rape victim. The diction in "Leda and the Swan" contributes to the intentional ambiguity and broader theme of sexism, as the images created have a dual and contradictory meaning In the text, phrases and words such as "the her thighs caressed/ From the dark cobwebs,” “Breast on her breast,” “vague and terrified fingers,” and “burning” offer ambiguities that confuse and undermine the rape (2-3, 4, 5, 10). caress” offers a romantic, almost tender connotation, but is followed by the next line “By the dark webs” (2-3). This disturbing contradiction creates an ambiguity regarding the nature of the sexual encounter. "Breast on her breast", in its connotation of femininity, seems to suggest that the masculine is not present (4). Neigh writes, “The image of 'breast upon breast' suggests the possibility of a total erasure of the masculine” (148). This image creates further ambiguity for the text, in its lack of gender distinction, confusing and even undermining what it means to be female. The phrase “terrified and vague fingers” creates a contradiction with “terrified” and “vague,” with the former suggesting that Leda is, in short, very scared, while “vague” suggests a more passive state of mind on her part ( 5). , like the previous sentences, undermines her position as a rape victim. Furthermore, the word “burn” is highly ambiguous as it connotes sexual passion and destruction (10). Neigh argues that “‘Burning’ clearly expresses sexual desire, which hinders the interpretation of rape in the poem” (148). As with other sentences, the author's chosen diction and creation of ambiguous imagery undermines Leda's situation and creates confusion regarding her situation. Zeus' transformation into a swan depicts a conjunction and contradiction of both the masculine and the feminine, reinforcing the poem's ambiguity and broader depiction of sexism. Neigh argues, “With the swan's indistinguishable gender, these ambiguities encourage readers to identify with both a raped human being and a rapist's pleasure” (148). With Zeus taking the form of a creature, 2017.