William B. Yeats was an Irish poet and is recognized as one of the most important figures of 20th century literature. At the time of her poem "Leda and the Swan", Ireland was going through a struggle to establish its identity. The poem was born when AE Russell approached Yeats about writing a politically driven poem for his radical new monthly publication The Irish State (Cullingford, 1994). In an attempt to stir the pot and spark an Irish revolution, Yates is reported to have said that, because he felt the individualist movement was exhausted, it would be a “birth from above, preceded by some violent announcement” (Johnsen, 1991, 80 ). the only means by which Ireland could reform itself. This notion of birth from above led Yeats to use the myth of Leda and the swan as a metaphor for overcoming oppression. In Greek myth, Zeus' act of rape on Leda, serves as a catalyst leading to the fall of Troy, the death of Agamemnon, and the subsequent strengthening of Greece (Austin, 2010). Through poetry, Yeats attempts to use the English's violent oppression of the Irish as a stimulus to overcome the harsh laws facing the free state to establish a greater Ireland. Like most works of art, the process of getting the final product is a long one where the artist constantly works on their work attempting to make their piece as concise and symbolic as possible. Although Yeats's intention for "Leda and the Swan" does not change over the course of the three drafts, the revisions made allow for further clarity of what he aims to accomplish: a political revolution. Over the course of the three revisions, Yeats focuses on restructuring and further developing the octet, as apart from the reformulation of one line the sestet is kept the same. This...... middle of paper ...... is full of violent actions and daunting, unanswered questions. Through the septet he manages to release these pressures, in consonance with the moment of the swan's ejaculation represented in “a shiver in the loins” (9). This is the sonnet's turn and describes the consequences of the violent oppression that Leda had to face. There is no need for Yeats to change other than a few syntactical elements, as these lines are able to precisely release the tension built in the octet and symbolize how violent oppression should lead to the destruction of a piece of mischief to strengthen the whole . The Greek myth of Leda and the Swan allows for a great metaphor for Yeats. Through revisions of his poetry, he is able to transform the poem from a wonder at the arrival of a divine spirit and a sexual diary into a strong call for political reform, even for the most conservative reader..