Aldous Huxley was an English writer and poet, born in 1894. Best known for his dystopia novel Brave New World, Huxley often focused on the relationship between science, politics and society in this writings, especially in his earlier works, as well as spirituality and mysticism. Early in his career, he published several books of poetry, among them Leda; by Aldous Huxley.
An excerpt from the end of his poem "Leda":
. . .Couched on the flowery ground
Young Leda lay, and to her side did press
The swan's proud-arching opulent loveliness,
Stroking the snow-soft plumage of his breast
With fingers slowly drawn, themselves caressed
By the warm softness where they lingered, loth
To break away. Sometimes against their growth
Ruffling the feathers inlaid like little scales
On his sleek neck, the pointed finger-nails
Rasped on the warm, dry, puckered skin beneath ;
And feeling it she shuddered, and her teeth
Grated on edge ; for there was something strange
And snake-like in the touch. He, in exchange,
Gave back to her, stretching his eager neck,
For every kiss a little amorous peck ;
Rubbing his silver head on her gold tresses,
And with the nip of horny dry caresses
Leaving upon her young white breast and cheek
And arms the red print of his playful beak.
Closer he nestled, mingling with the slim
Austerity of virginal flank and limb
His curved and florid beauty, till she felt
That downy warmth strike through her flesh and melt
The bones and marrow of her strength away.
One lifted arm bent o'er her brow, she lay
With limbs relaxed, scarce breathing, deathly still;
Save when a quick, involuntary thrill
Shook her sometimes with passing shudderings.
As though some hand had plucked the aching strings
Of life itself, tense with expectancy.
And over her the swan shook slowly free
The folded glory of his wings, and made
A white-walled tent of soft and luminous shade
To be her veil and keep her from the shame
Of naked light and the sun's noonday flame.
Hushed lay the earth and the wide, careless sky.
Then one sharp sound, that might have been a cry
Of utmost pleasure or of utmost pain.
Broke sobbing forth, and all was still again.
Even this brief passage from this lengthy poem contains a multitude of similarities to Yeats' much shorter version. "Caresses", "glory", "breast", etc., as well as subtle religious themes and (less subtle) violence, can all be found in spades in both versions. Huxley's was published about four years prior to Yeats', and was most likely a direct influence on his writing as such. While less graphic in its language, Huxley's "Leda" still maintains an air of perturbation, particularly in its eery ending after the rape, in which the ambiguity and morality of this act is called to attention and an unstated question is posed to the reader, which in turn questions the reader's own beliefs (see Analysis: Point of View and Close Reading: "So mastered...could let her drop?" (12-14)).
Source:
Huxley, Aldous. "Leda." Leda: by Aldous Huxley. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1929. 1-18. Print.