Swan song is a popular metaphorical expression that serves to describe the most important achievements of a person.
This expression, which is a figurative phrase, arose from a belief that the white swan (Cygnus olor), was completely silent during his life until the moment of death, when he uttered a beautiful song.
It was said that the swan, when sensing the arrival of death, ceased to be mute and sang a beautiful song of farewell to its existence.
White Swan or Mute Swan.
Is the swan song belief true?
It is now known that this belief, which arose in Ancient Greece around the 3rd century BC, is attributed to philosopher Socrates, is not substantiated, as white swans are not mute and emit grunts and whistles.
Likewise, it has been proven that white swans do not sing before death.
In which situations is the expression used?
Although the theory has been refuted, the legend has lived on over the centuries and is still used today to describe an artist's last and most important work.
The phrase is used to express that the artist would have achieved, in the last moments of his life, a supreme artistic inspiration.
Even today, the expression is used to refer to unforgettable moments, such as the unexpected and dramatic ending of a play or a movie.
Swan Song of Schubert
Weeks before he died, at age 31, the Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) wrote two sets of songs about poems from Ludwig Rellstab and Heinrich Heine.
In the year following his death, Tobias Haslinger gathered the produced material and published a posthumous collection entitled “Schwanengesang” (swan song in German).
They were the latest creations of Schubert and some believe that the composer sensed his death and used what was left of his life to create one last magnificent work.