There are fifteen poems in the GCSE Love and Relationships anthology.

For your exam, you will be given one poem in full, printed on the page, and you will be asked to compare this poem to another from the anthology.

All of the GCSE English Literature course is closed-book, meaning that you will need to learn at least three lines from each poem.

It is possible to get top marks for this question by making sure that you know the following:

• What the poem is about

• What the poem means

• The methods the poet uses to convey their message

• The links between the ideas of other poems in the anthology

Synopsis

This section includes:

• A general overview of the poem

• A detailed look at the poem line-by-line

• Analysis of the poem, giving Andrew Waterhouse’s intention and message

A General Overview of the Poem

Winter Swans, a poem by Welsh poet Owen Sheers, delves into the complexities of romantic relationships by portraying the emotional distance between two lovers during a walk by the lake. The poem ultimately resolves with the couple rediscovering hope and intimacy, inspired by their shared observation of a pair of swans.

Line-by-Line

The clouds had given their all -

two days of rain and then a break

in which we walked,

The poem opens as so: the bad weather has ended, so a couple decide to go for a walk.

There is a clear use of pathetic fallacy – which suggests that a recent conflict has occurred between the speaker and his lover.

The break in the weather reflects the break in their arguments.

The use of ‘two’ is important – it is the first sense that this is a poem about a couple – and a nod to the importance of pairs.

the waterlogged earth

gulping for breath at our feet

as we skirted the lake, silent and apart,

The poem focuses on the rain – a symbol of sadness – and its heavy nature creates a ‘waterlogged earth’.

There is a sense that things between the two are awkward – reflected in the ‘gulping for breath’.

The walk is a welcome break from the intensity of the arguments – but the walk is difficult – just like navigating this relationship.

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.

The poem turns in tone here (volta) – as the speakers observe the swans.

The swans move in ‘unison’ reflecting their togetherness.

This is a dramatic moment where the feelings of togetherness start to re-emerge in the couple.

The swans appear as beautiful and natural.

'They mate for life' you said as they left,

porcelain over the stilling water. I didn't reply

The partner is brought into the poem through their dialogue.

The swans leave.

There is a sense of balance in the poem here, with the voice of the partner being given importance.

‘Mate’ here shows the connection between the swans – and reflects the hope for the couple.

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.

The two start to walk again and move physically closer, eventually holding hands.

Seeing the swans has had a great impact on the two – there is no need to speak as the connection is unspoken.

They mirror the actions of the swans.

Writer’s Methods

This section aims to support your revision by providing you with concrete and clear examples of methods that Owen Sheers’ uses.

Remember: methods support meaning, not the other way round. You will gain more marks focusing your essays on the big ideas of the poems and then supporting these ideas with the methods that the writer uses.

Form

The poem opens by highlighting tension within a romantic relationship, capturing the frustration of the speaker and his partner's strained communication. However, Sheers concludes with a clear resolution, as the couple reconnect through physical closeness, rediscovering their intimacy.

"Winter Swans" traces the speaker’s emotional journey across seven stanzas, illustrating the progression of a couple’s conflict:

• The poem opens with descriptions of turbulent weather, mirroring the couple’s emotional discomfort.
• In the third stanza, the word "until" signals a shift in tone as the swans appear, hinting at a possible change in their relationship.
• Sheers conveys emotional distance despite physical proximity, portraying the couple’s slow and hesitant communication and reconciliation.
• While the first six stanzas follow a tercet structure, Sheers emphasizes the poem’s resolution by concluding with a couplet.
• The conflict is resolved with a swift and effortless reconciliation, reinforcing the idea that closing emotional distance in a relationship can be simple and relieving.
• Through his structure and pacing, Sheers mimics the slow passage of time during emotional conflict, contrasting it with the quick and reassuring resolution as the couple rediscovers intimacy through physical closeness.

Structure

Sheers examines the unpredictable emotions within a romantic relationship, using an irregular structure to reflect the couple’s awkward silences and strained communication during their argument.

Sheers employs an irregular, unrhymed structure to reflect the emotional turbulence within the couple’s relationship:

• The disjointed rhythm mirrors the initial conflict between the speaker and their partner: “The clouds had given their all –”
• A caesura emphasizes their strained communication: “as we skirted the lake, silent and apart,”
• Sheers conveys the awkwardness of the speaker’s tone, capturing the familiar tension of a romantic disagreement.

As the poem progresses, Sheers introduces a turning point in stanza five:

• The partner’s direct speech disrupts the silent monologue, breaking the couple’s silence and hinting at a shift in mood.
• However, their communication remains stilted, highlighted by another caesura that marks the speaker’s lack of response: “porcelain over the stilling water. I didn’t reply”

A volta signals a transition to a more peaceful atmosphere: “but as we moved on through the afternoon light”

• The poem explores the breakdown in communication before demonstrating how silence can ultimately rekindle love.
• The final use of enjambment may symbolize the couple’s natural connection and effortless reconciliation.
• Through his structure, Sheers mirrors the difficulties of communication in a romantic relationship, which are ultimately resolved through physical closeness.

Language

At the start of the poem, the narrator sets the scene with turbulent weather, mirroring the couple’s tense mood as they momentarily set aside their argument and go for a walk. However, their encounter with the graceful and harmonious movements of a group of swans serves as the catalyst for their reconciliation.

Sheers employs pathetic fallacy to reflect the couple’s conflict:

The poem opens with a claustrophobic atmosphere, using personification to depict the earth as it “gulps” for air after “the clouds had given their all –”, emphasizing exhaustion and tension.

Natural imagery conveys suffocation and emotional strain, mirroring the speaker’s internal turmoil.

The phrase “skirted the lake” reflects the couple’s cautious and hesitant movements, symbolizing their emotional distance despite being physically close. They remain “silent and apart”, avoiding true connection.

Sheers marks the dramatic arrival of the swans with striking imagery:

The swans emerge from the “dark water”, their “icebergs of white feather” and “porcelain over the stilling water” creating a vivid contrast, emphasizing their elegance and serenity.

This moment is significant in the poem’s progression:

The sibilance in “the swans came and stopped us” highlights the mesmerizing quality of the birds’ movement, capturing the couple’s attention.

Sheers uses a simile, comparing the swans to “boats righting in rough weather”, suggesting their graceful recovery from instability—a reflection of the couple’s own reconciliation.

Through natural imagery, Sheers portrays both the emotional distance between the couple and the way nature ultimately brings them back together, illustrating conflict and closeness as natural elements of romantic relationships.

Context

At MyEdSpace, we use this analogy to discuss context – ketchup, salt and chips.

If you ordered a portion of chips, and asked for salt, you wouldn’t then dump the salt into the corner of your chips and start dipping each individual chip into the salt.

When you put salt on your chips, you sprinkle it over, sparingly, so as to give a good coverage of salt across the chips as a whole. Context is just like salt on chips.

Context is not ketchup – because it would be appropriate to squeeze ketchup into the corner of your plate and dip each chip in (and in fact, that is advised).

So when you’re including contextual information in your essays, sprinkle it across the essay, just like you sprinkle salt on your chips.

Let’s link the context to the key ideas and themes of the poem.

Romantic Relationships

"Winter Swans" is a modern poem by Owen Sheers, born in 1974:

• The poem explores contemporary romantic relationships in a straightforward style that departs from traditional conventions.

• Its irregular structure reflects the unpredictability of emotions.

• Sheers incorporates dialogue to provide the partner’s perspective, adding depth to the interaction.

• He conveys the complexities of love through simple yet meaningful language, as seen in “The clouds had given their all - / two days of rain and then a break”, where natural imagery suggests emotional turmoil and a temporary pause in conflict.

The poem is part of Sheers’ collection Skirrid Hill, a title that translates from Welsh as shattered mountain or divorced/separated, reinforcing the collection’s theme of natural separations in relationships.

In Winter Swans, Sheers depicts a romantic argument:

• The couple is described as “silent and apart”, emphasizing their emotional distance after two days of tension.

Physical Intimacy

Owen Sheers is a British poet from Wales who also works as a TV presenter, playwright, and anthologist:

• His poetry often explores human relationships and the natural world, themes that are evident in Winter Swans.

• Having grown up on a farm, Sheers was inspired to set his poetry within natural landscapes, using nature as a lens to reflect human emotions.

In Winter Swans, Sheers personifies the “waterlogged earth” as “gulping for breath”, using the environment to mirror the couple’s strained relationship. His poetry frequently examines how nature influences human connections, encouraging attentiveness to the natural world—an idea linked to Romantic poetry.

• The swans in the poem symbolize harmony, moving “in unison” and serving as a model for the couple’s reconciliation.

• Inspired by their graceful movements, the couple reconnects through physical touch, folding their hands together “like a pair of wings”.

• The swans in the poem are mute swans, a species known for their quiet presence. Their silent companionship is portrayed positively, as seen in the simile “like boats righting in rough weather”, reinforcing the idea that understanding in relationships does not always require words.

Swans have long been associated with majesty and value in England, once traded among the upper class and still symbolically owned by the monarchy. Sheers presents them with elegant imagery, perhaps suggesting that physical intimacy and harmony are just as precious in relationships.

Comparison

You are required to write an essay in your exam that is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two poems from the Love and Relationships anthology. Therefore, it is very important to revise the poems in pairs and to enter the exam with an idea of what poem you will choose to compare once you know what the named poem is.

‘Winter Swans’ and ‘Love’s Philosophy’

This comparison effectively explores the theme of physical intimacy within conflicted romantic relationships. Both poets use the harmony of nature to justify harmony in love; however, Sheers presents a more balanced and mutual relationship, whereas Shelley’s monologue emphasizes the speaker’s isolation.

Similarities:

Both poems explores the way physical intimacy can be denied in relationships.

Sheers highlights the awkward and strained communication between the lovers through dialogue centered on physical love: ‘They mate for life,’ you said as they left, / porcelain over the stilling water. I didn’t reply.”

Similarly, Shelley’s speaker expresses the one-sided, physically-driven nature of his plea through a rhetorical question: “What is all this sweet work worth / If thou kiss not me?”

Sheers conveys emotional unease with caesura: “as we skirted the lake, silent and apart.”

Likewise, Shelley uses punctuation to reflect confusion about romantic separation: “Why not I with thine?—”

Both poets explore the frustration of unfulfilled physical love in relationships, portraying broken communication as a source of emotional distance and separation.

Differences:

Winter Swans ends the poem with a resolution of the physical intimacy, however Shelley’s speaker is left alone without an answer.

Sheers presents the relationship as intimate and connected, using the first-person plural pronoun to narrate their walk around the lake: “we walked, the waterlogged earth.”

In contrast, Shelley’s speaker directly addresses a silent lover throughout the poem, emphasizing one-sided communication.

Sheers concludes with a rekindled physical connection, using a simile to compare their closeness to the harmonious swans: “like a pair of wings settling after flight.”

However, Shelley’s speaker finds no resolution, ending the poem in frustration: “What is all this sweet work worth / If thou kiss not me?”

Sheers’ modern poem suggests that the couple’s mutual interaction and balanced relationship allow them to rediscover intimacy through their shared observation of nature. In contrast, Shelley’s monologue concludes with an isolated speaker, still yearning for physical closeness, aligning with the traditional structure of a love poem.