How does the poet use language in the poem, The Wild Swans at Coole?

Despite the poem’s formality, the word choices used are mostly simple, straightforward, and accessible. Many of the words are multi-syllabic and incorporated for their elevated rhythm, yet none are particularly archaic or academic. Words like “woodland,” “twilight,” or “conquest” give the poem a feeling of old-world romance even though they are mostly still in use today. This sense of timelessness directly supports the poem’s internal themes of eternality within the passage of time. Because the speaker is looking backwards, it’s fitting that their choice of words seems like it would be well-suited to a bygone age; however, these word choices still convey their feelings in the present moment clearly and concisely.