Leda by Yeats and the Swan and Leda by Van Duyn In Greek mythology, Leda, a Spartan queen, was so beautiful that Zeus, the ruler of the gods, decided he must have her. As immortals did not generally present themselves to humanity in their divine form, Zeus transformed himself into a great swan and, in this form, ravished the helpless maiden (Carey 58-59). William Butler Yeats and Mona Van Duyn based their poems "Leda and the Swan" and "Leda" respectively on this story of a "mystical marriage". Yeats's emphasis on the sexual act itself, as well as his allusions to Leda's offspring, manifest a serious and terrifying tone. While he elevates Leda to a status similar to that of Mary, mother of Jesus, Van Duyn presents Leda as a universal mother. By making the two characters, Leda and Zeus, ordinary, she gives a “surprising twist” (Greiner 337) to the original myth, underlined by her witty tone. Furthermore, while Yeats suggests that Leda gained something from her encounter with Zeus, Van Duyn asserts that she gained nothing, describing women in general as primarily objects of men's gratification. Yeats begins his poem by focusing on the simple depiction of rape. scene. such as “beating, dark, helpless” and “terrified” give this violent act of intrusion negative connotations. The victim, Leda, is helpless against the power of the attacker, Zeus, and terrified by his actions. Recalling the original Greek myth, Yeats clearly shows Leda's resistance at every stage ("stunning girl", "helpless breast", "vague and terrified thrust of fingers"). Zeus' relationship with Leda parallels general human interaction with Satan or God. In Christianity, the dominant religion in Yeats's time, pious men attempted to push back against violence and the underlying religious motive. Overall, Yeats inspires fear in the reader, while Van Duyn elicits an occasional laugh; however, both poems are equally effective, one for its religious message and the other for its denigration of men. Works Cited Barnhart, Clarence L. and Robert K. The World Book Dictionary. Chicago: Doubleday, 1985. Carey, Gary. Cliffs Notes on Mythology. Lincoln: C. K. Hillegass, 1973. Greiner, Donald J. “American Poets Since World War II.” Dictionary of literary biographies. Detroit: Doubleday, 1980. Heaney, Seamus. The repair of poetry. New York: Noonday, 1995. Magill, Frank N. Critical Survey of Poetry. Engelwood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1982. Vol. 7 “Torah: the five books of Moses. » Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1985.