Why choosing a Greek myth?

Jerzy Hulewicz - Leda and the Swan

Throughout all the contents seen in class about modernism and all its views and its ideologies aftermath, I was thinking about Leda and the Swan and why we could see some features or representation of capitalism in it. Leda was abused by Zeus in the shape of a swan, representing Leda as the working class, the common “helpless” people, and Zeus representing the powerful ones who are on top of the pyramid and looking the rest as their marionettes but needing them to achieve their goals.

 

The fact that W.B Yeats chose this myth to write its poem is interesting. He could have picked any myth or ancient culture to write a poem but he chose a greek one. Greek gods were more human-like than the gods of other cultures. These gods fight with each other, feel jealous and anger among other human emotions which make them closer to humans, in fact they kind of look for interaction with people. It is like they need them. Capitalism reflects these features of greek gods because the god “money” of capitalism, needs people in disadvantage who will follow this god’s desires. The violent abuse of power is as much violent as the raping of Leda. Because in the eyes of modernism cold machinery led to individualism and loneliness, and after a raping the state of mind tends to be isolation and loneliness also.

Now, it is clear that there is a lot of symbolisms in this poem and covering them all in one post might be a difficult task - if not impossible - for example, the fact that Zeus transforms himself into a bird and no other animal is one of them. However, what really called my attention was the choice of this particular greek story to tell something else. Clearly the poet is not retelling in fancy words the myth all over again but he is trying, I presume, to show that no matter if we resist or not (we as Leda), there will always be a “god” and “idol” or anything or anyone possessing the power that will present itself in maybe in a beautiful way (a swan) that in the end – having selfish intentions – will abuse the others (the working class in this case). What capitalism/money does is similar to what greek gods did: to control and direct people’s destiny to its wishes.

 So whether it is in a Greek myth or in our society, there have always been someone in the "mountain top" in a way pushing down the weak ones taking advantage of them  something that have always caused some kind of "troubles" and I believe that is one of the many things the author in his modernist view tried to depict.

What do you think?...