I have to write a paper on how the language and tone in Leda and the Swan proves that the romantacism of rape can be a dangerous paradigm in our society. And I have to bring in examples of music, art, or film. Please help me. Thanks.

BG, you should find something of value here:

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Les

Here's a Leda and the Swan picture that looks like it's about romance, not rape. [www.bc.edu] />
The idea of 'You raped me, I fell in love' has been used lots of times in romance novels and soap operas. (Luke and Laura, anyone?)

I've always felt that Rod Stewart's Tonight's the Night is about date rape. Why is he keeping her away from an escape route?

Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright)
(Rod Stewart)

Stay away from my window
Stay away from my back door too
Disconnect the telephone line
Relax baby and draw that blind

Kick off your shoes and sit right down
Loosen off that pretty French gown
Let me pour you a good long drink
Ooh baby don't you hesitate cause

Tonights the night
It's gonna be alright
Cause I love you girl
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now

C'mon angel my hearts on fire
Don't deny your man's desire
You'd be a fool to stop this tide
Spread your wings and let me come inside

Tonights the night
It's gonna be alright
Cause I love you girl
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now

Don't say a word my virgin child
Just let your inhibitions run wild
The secret is about to unfold
Upstairs before the night's too old

Tonights the night
It's gonna be alright
Cause I love you woman
Ain't nobody gonna stop us now

pam

the language and tone in Leda and the Swan proves that the >romantacism of rape can be a dangerous paradigm in our society

I'm assuming we are talking Yeats here, and not another poem or painting.

I would likely quarrel with the term paradigm, but let that go. The assignment, as phrased, seems to suggest that Yeats wanted to use the poem to deprecate the romanticism of rape. Yet it also appears to suggest that Yeats is at fault in attempting to romanticize what is really an assault.

I would find it difficult to support either hypothesis. Since the rape happened thousands of years ago, and the poem many decades ago, I am not sure it is a timely paradigm in any case. Can I have another assignment?