Poem ‘When You Are Old’ By William Butler Yeats Summery

 

Poem ‘When You Are Old’

By William Butler Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

                                         

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

 

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.

 

 

Summary

‘When You Are Old’ reveals that the speaker viewed himself as a true lover, desperately hoping that his beloved might look into her future and imagine herself old and regretting having never returned his love.

Many see this poem as highlighting the unrequited love between the speaker, presumably Yeats, and his former lover. In this poem, the speaker, talking directly to his muse, instructs her to open the book in which this poem can be found and to re-read it. While re-reading, she should recall how many people loved her for both true and false reasons, namely because of her beauty. The speaker goes on to tell the lover that there was one man, probably the speaker, who loved her completely. In the final stanza, the speaker tells his former lover that she should remember that this love did not last, and she should be filled with regret because of it.

Meaning

To gather the full meaning of ‘When You Are Old’, a reader must understand the love life of Yeats. For many years, he was in love with a beautiful actress, Maud Gonne. Gonne would not (or could not) return his love. This was a bitter rejection for Yeats, whose heart was set on her. This poem is addressed to her. Here, Yeats specifically refers to himself as “Love”. “Love”, then, is personified in the form of the author himself. Yeats addresses Gonne, asking her to think about herself at the end of her life when all of her fame and beauty has faded into memory (Dwyer). His words resonate with the masses because all people young or old can relate. Those enjoying their youth can stop and picture themselves when they have aged. The elderly can reminisce on the days of their youth.

Structure

The poem consists of three stanzas, each containing four lines. The rhyme scheme is very distinct and steady; the first stanza is abba; the second is cddc; the third is effe. Yeats uses this closed rhyming pattern for emphasizing the idea of each stanza. Additionally, there are a total of ten syllables in each line. The stress falls on the second syllable of each foot. Hence, Yeats wrote the poem in iambic pentameter. This, coupled with the steady rhyme scheme, lends a sing-song quality to the poem. Apart from that, the rising rhythm is used for depicting the passion that the speaker still has in his heart for his beloved. Besides, the stressed syllables consist of the important ideas in a line.

Literary Devices

While the work is relatively short, like any Yeats poem, it is jam-packed with imagery and other poetic devices. The poem begins with a metonymy. One can find this device in the usage of the word, “grey”. The second and third lines of the first stanza contain anaphora. Moreover, there is a repetition of “and” in this section. In “moments of glad grace” is a metaphor for youth and the flourishing period of one’s life. Thereafter, in “pilgrim soul” the poet uses a personal metaphor. In the last stanza of this poem, the poet uses irony. One can find this device in the last line. Besides, there is an alliteration in the phrase “hid his face” present in the same line.

Themes

This poem reveals several themes such as the reality of passing time, the brevity of life, and the importance of love. The most important theme of ‘When You Are Old’ is the passing of time. This theme of transience forms the basis of this poem. Here, the poet highlights the fact that how one’s youthful hours fade away with time. Time neither stops nor stoops for anybody. Hence, the lady who is wasting the lover’s time by not accepting his love will suffer badly for the absence of that person. Thereafter, the theme of the brevity of life is another important aspect of the poem. Here, Yeats shows the transition of a lady from her youth to old-age and how she is going to lament for the speaker. In this way, the poet also emphasizes the importance of love.