When you are old poem. When You Are Old Poem Text 2022-10-27

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"When You Are Old" is a poem written by William Butler Yeats in 1889. The poem reflects on the passage of time and the eventual aging of the person addressed in the poem. It is a poignant and moving meditation on the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitability of growing old.

The poem begins with the speaker urging the person addressed to "remember" him when they are old and grey, and full of sleep. The speaker speaks of the "tender grace" that the person once had, and how it has now "fled." The speaker describes the person as they will be when they are old - their "voice" will have become "a shivering cry," and their "eyes" will have become "dimmed with tears."

Despite the bleak and melancholic tone of the poem, the speaker offers a message of hope and comfort. He tells the person that they will "find out" how much they are "loved," and that their "true love" will "bend down" and "touch" their "gray hairs." The speaker suggests that the person will find solace in the love and affection of others, even in their old age.

The poem concludes with the speaker expressing his own feelings of loss and regret. He admits that he will "have outgrown" the person, and that he will be "old" when they are "old." The speaker reflects on the "passing" of time, and how it has brought them both to this point.

Overall, "When You Are Old" is a poignant and moving reflection on the passage of time and the inevitability of growing old. It speaks to the universal human experience of growing older and losing the vitality and beauty of youth. The poem offers a message of hope and comfort, reminding us that even in our old age, we can find solace in the love and affection of others.

When You Are Old Poem Text

when you are old poem

The famous poem was written by Irish poet William Butler Yeats. Successful aging is about living healthily for as long as possible while suffering as few complications from age as possible. This last part of the sentence has often been interpreted as a threat, but it may simply be an acknowledgment of how difficult personal memories can be. However one interprets that line, it is safe to say that the speaker is telling his lover that he loved her to the very depths of her soul. He had strong muscular arms, grey hairs and a beak-like nose. These contrasts serve to build a strong argument to persuade the young lady not to ignore him now and regret later. Soul in this case means mind or personality.

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‘When You Are Old’ is a poem of contrasts. What purpose do they serve?

when you are old poem

References Yeats, William Butler. Leave a Comment We don't require your email address, or your name, for anyone to leave a comment. The book, the speaker refers to is likely one of his writings to her. . Tone meter of poem The warning note in the poem comes through in the arrhythmic meter and often hollow sounds that establish a mournful tone. The speaker continues to ask the woman to think about herself when she is old and nods off by the fire, but now he wants her to imagine herself old but thinking back upon her earlier years.

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'Read a Poem': CGTN host Zheng Junfeng reads 'When you are old'

when you are old poem

Even if you do not yet experience any symptoms of aging, you are still likely to face other issues as you grow older. However, it should be noted that Maud Gonne, like Yeats, was seen as a political figure in Ireland. What does gyre mean in The Second Coming? Both were nationalists, and it was this passion, coupled with her undeniable beauty, that made Yeats fall in love with her. Old people tend to suffer from a range of problems as they get older, including hearing loss, vision loss, dementia, depression, and arthritis. When talking to an older person, they may reflect on the past or on memories when they were younger.

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When You Are Old Poem Summary and Analysis

when you are old poem

Then there was a sense that the institutions upon which a nation depends were in distress and the very fabric of society was fraying. But also young, strong, and vibrant will be coming up later in the poem. What is the main idea of the poem? This adds a sense of excitement to the poem and a sense that there is hope for the woman to still change her mind. This idea of expectation is encouraged in the way that the speaker allows his thoughts to travel from the end of one line over into the next. He was able to use timeless words and ideas to express eternal human emotions such as love, hate, sadness, joy, gratitude, etc. If she does, perhaps there is a chance that she may change her mind and decide to return the love of the man who loves her soul and whose love will not fade as her beauty fades with age. The song "When You Are Old" compares two points in time.

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When You Are Old

when you are old poem

This is the first hint that the speaker, Love, has left. The book, the speaker refers to is likely one of his writings to her. The poem opens by presenting the reader with a mental image of an old woman dozing in a cozy chair by a warm fire reading. A pilgrim is a traveller. In any case, "when you are old" is a phrase used to remind people that you care about them even after they have died. He then claims that he would have loved her even as her beauty faded. Besides, in this stanza, the speaker continues to ask the woman to think about herself when she is old and nods off by the fire, but now he wants her to imagine herself old but thinking back upon her earlier years.


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When You Are Old, Is a Poem of Contrasts.?

when you are old poem

The second stanza is about how friendship shelters us and we need love. The speaker reminds the woman that she is imagining herself as an old woman. When You Are Old is dedicated to? Stanza 3 And bending down beside the glowing bars, Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead And hid his face amid a crowd of stars. Second Coming, also called Second Advent or Parousia, in Christianity, the future return of Christ in glory, when it is understood that he will set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful, living and dead. A gyre is a spiral that expands outward as it goes up. Most critics agree that the poem is about Yeats's relationship with Maud Gonne, an Irish actress and nationalist. Every Falcon obeys the rule of his master who trained them.

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"When You Are Old" Poem by William Butler Yeats

when you are old poem

In the second stanza, there is a contrast between her many suitors who professed superficial love and the speaker or the lover who promises true love for her. This image suggests that the woman, in not choosing wisely, is now left lonely and alone, despairing over the fire trying to capture a lost love out of the embers of her dying fire. This was a bitter rejection for Yeats, whose heart was set on her. The poem was probably written by William Shakespeare about 1598. The recipient will be "old,""grey," and tired during this time. Comment Name Email Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This advertising is managed by, and targeted through, Google Adsense.

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When You Are Old Poem Summary And Line By Line Explanation In English Class 12th • English Summary

when you are old poem

He loved her for more than her beauty and her fame. He then adds: "But if that fails, remember me when you are dead". In this way, he makes a clear distinction between himself and all the others who have ever claimed to love her. The poem begins with the statement that "when you are old and gray," etc. Moreover, he tells her to read and to dream. Introduction William Butler Yeats was a master poet in that he was able to convey tremendous depth of meaning within his poetry while keeping the subject relatively tightly confined. So he speculates on what a second coming might entail.

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When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats

when you are old poem

As a sensitive, young man he felt the charm of the natural objects and looked forward with the vitality of youth. It keeps the reader awake by interspersing sudden-sounding changes in sound in the first and second stanzas. However, her youthful beauty is no more. He regrets that his body give him grievous morality and ethics. Instead of focusing upon the present or the past, Yeats looks to the future, a future in which the two people in the poem are destined to be forever apart. Yeats seems to be telling his lover that while his love for her will always remain, she will be unable to reach it, as one is unable to reach into the heavens and pluck out a star.

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When you are old meaning Yeats?

when you are old poem

Most people have known at least one person so elderly that they cannot stay awake for many hours in the day. To express pure love, the poet invites her to have a glance at the time when she will be old and will not be surrounded by fake lovers. Yeats uses the image of gyres frequently in his poems to describe the motion of history toward chaos and instability. He asks her to remember, when she is old, that one person, namely himself, loved the soul within her. Website This website features advertising to cover the cost of hosting this powerful, fast-loading service. This poem says that when one start to grow old, all the troubles and struggles that he has faced will be seen in the form of his wrinkles. How does the poet immortalize his love when you are old? What does the ceremony of innocence is drowned mean? Tone and meter contribute to the meaning of the poem by using smooth vowel tones and regular beat that soothe and comfort while interrupting things with sudden long sounds and beat shifts that cause the woman, and the reader, to pay close attention.

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