Chrysti The Wordsmith: Swan Song

Greetings and welcome to Christie the wordsmith. A swan song is the last performance the closing words the final opus of a notable person swan song is certainly a lyrical and evocative phrase but how does this bird's melody fit into the picture of someone's last great work. The ancients believed that swans broke into beautiful song as they sensed the moment of their death. Plato Europe at ease and Aristotle referred to this legend in their writings as did more recently Chaucer and Shakespeare. Socrates wrote four swans when they perceive that they must die. Sing more sweetly than ever rejoicing in the thought that they are about to go away to Apollo whose ministers they are so according to Socrates dying Swans sing gloriously in anticipation of at last seeing their beloved master Apollo. Socrates who was also dedicated to the god proclaim that he would embrace death as did the singing swans for he too knew that Apollo was his

blissful destination. Poets and writers throughout the centuries have been inspired by the Swan legend the fully modern expression swan song referring to a person's last great effort was first recorded by the Scottish historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle in 1831. I'm Christie the wordsmith. Greetings two word lovers listening on Yellowstone Public Radio in Billings Montana. Case in Salt Lake City and around the globe on Armed Forces Radio and Television Network. Kristie the wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry sued web dot com.