Yeats, first stanza

I think the first stanza of the poem is a great introduction to the work because Yeats creates natural imagery to convey the theme of the cycle of life. The poem’s first stanza incorporates the idea of birth and vitality. For example, the “birds in the trees” are perhaps perched in trees because they are still baby birds in the nest. The birds are singing in the tress and are “at their song” because birds begin in trees in their nests until they fly away, start their own nest, and die. This is the cycle of life for birds but Yeats is saying that this is not only the cycle for animals but for humans too. The distinction between nature and human life is created with “In one another’s arms.” Also, the “salmon falls” symbolizes the spawning of salmon and the birth of new salmon, but just as they are “born” they also must “die.” The salmon are humanized as they are “caught in that sensual music.”Of course salmon do not hear music and if they did it would not be “sensual;” however, Yeats illustrates that humans and animals alike go through the same cycles of life from birth to death.