At night in a park, the speaker and a companion stand by a lake where city lights shimmer like chains of gold and the water holds their reflections in quivering, broken bars. A few swans sleep in the shadows, and now and then one wakes and lifts its head. The speaker notices how still the other person is, their gaze resting on the speaker’s face, yet neither speaks. It is a moment of quiet intimacy, as if the two are sharing not just the sight of the swans but an unspoken closeness. The mood is hushed, suspended, and faintly solemn. The image of light too heavy for the water to hold gives the scene a delicate tension, suggesting beauty or feeling that trembles on the edge of being too much to say.
Swans — Summary
Night is over the park, and a few brave stars Look on the lights that link it with chains of gold, The lake bears up their reflection in broken bars That seem too heavy for tremulous water to hold.
We watch the swans that sleep in a shadowy place, And now and again one wakes and uplifts its head; How still you are--your gaze is on my face-- We watch the swans and never a word is said.