In Leda and the Swan, Yeats is describing a rape. The poem is written in the second person which suggests that it is being told by a bystander. The first stanza is describing foreplay. In the first line, "A sudden blow" is used to bring intensity, impact, and tension to the rape. It is saying Leda is taken by surprise. He has taken over her, caressing her thighs. By using the words " dark webs"(3) the speaker is suggesting that Leda cannot see the webs (the rapist) because it is dark and that she has been captured. Darkness suggests night time. He has her by the nape (back of neck). "He holds her helpless breast upon his breast" (4) suggests that the rapist is on top of Leda holding her so she can`t move or fight back. Yeats uses alliteration to help bring the tension to the poem.

In...