The swans, which give the poem its title, symbolize the contrast between permanence and volatility. To the speaker, they illustrate how the landscape has remained the same for nearly two decades. Although the speaker has grown old and worn down, the swans remain as “brilliant” and “mysterious” as they always have been. They represent the fixed centre of a changing world. These birds don’t appear to have changed since the speaker’s first visit, which makes them more aware of their own shifting physical and mental state. Conversely, the swans also come to symbolize the passage of time; their flight is described as a “bell-beat” (Line 17), which brings to mind a church or school bell that marks the hour. The speaker’s earliest memory is also of trying to count the swans many years ago, but the swans taking flight before they could finish; this...