Sweet Swans of Avon

Yes, I actually took this picture of the Avon river in Shakespeare's home town of Stratford. We were blessed with a beautiful, sunny day and a photogenic and cooperative swan family.

The phrase alluded to in the title of this post comes from Ben Jonson's poem,
"To The Memory Of Mr. William Shakespeare And What He Hath Left Us," which was affixed to the First Folio. Here are the concluding lines:

Sweet Swan of Avon! what a sight it were
To see thee in our water yet appear,
And make those flights upon the banks of Thames
That so did take Eliza, and our James!
But stay, I see thee in the hemisphere
Advanc`d, and made a constellation there!
Shine forth, thou star of poets, and with rage
Or influence, chide, or cheer the drooping stage;
Which since thy flight from hence hath mourn`d like night,
And despairs day, but for thy volume`s light.

To read the full poem, click here.

Jonson neatly connects the two imporant rivers of Shakespeare's life---the small, idyllic Avon river of his youth and the big, bustling Thames of his adult years. Jonson must have known the affinity swans had for the lazy and lovely Avon. Perhaps he spent time with his fellow playwright in the latter's home town. I can only imagine how interesting the pub conversations must have been.