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Morarji Desai Residential PU College, Savanur, Dist Haveri, 11th Aug 2020, , 6.WHEN YOU ARE OLD, -W.B.Yeats, William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) is an Irish poet and one of, the foremost figures of the 20th century literature. He was awarded, the Nobel Prize for literature in 1923. He is among the great love, poets of the world. 'When you are old' is an exquisite love lyric of, 12 lines, where the poet uses a time frame in which he addresses his, lady love in the present, takes her to an unreal condition in the, future and asks her to recall her past memories. It is written to, express his true and unforgettable love., , Glossary, ❖ The Pilgrim Soul : Questing soul, ❖ The Glowing bars: The bars of the fire place full of, glowing coal, ❖ Nod :move one's head upar and down repeatedly, ❖ Murmur : A softly spoken Or Inaudible utterance, , Analysis Of Poem, Stanza-1
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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;, When you (my beloved) grow old and your hair turn grey, and, when you look sometimes near the fire sleepily, then you should, pick up this book that I am writing and read this poem. This, poem then would remind you how beautiful you once used to be,, and how soft and deep your eyes were when you were young., Explanation of difficult phrases: Nothing by the fire- dozing as, she sits near the fire in lonely winter nights. Dream of- think of, the past youthful day is in a dreamy way. Soft looks your eyes, had once- The poet's beloved now has soft looks. Her eyes have, an enchantment about them. They lend to her face a look of, charm and sweetness. But they would not always remain so. In, her old age, she would only remember these soft looks with, regret., Stanza-2, , 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;, You will then remember that many men then loved you because, of your joyful beauty. They loved you for your beauty, some with, a true love, others safely. But then you will also remember that, one man loved your soul, and loved you for the sadness of your, looks.Explanation of difficult phrases: Glad grace- During her
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youth, his beloved has a grace and a beauty that arises out of the, joy living. Her youthfulness lends a charm to all her movements., How many…grace- This is to be connected with the idea given, earlier-the beloved in her old are, remembering her days of, youth. The poet tells her how she would then remember her old, lovers, who are no more., 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., Then, as you bend down near the glowing fire in the grate, you, will murmur to yourself that love has left you , and has hidden, itself far away , in lofty mountains and in starry(full of stars), skies. Explanation of difficult phrases: A bending down-His, beloved in her old age, would bend down. The glowing bars- the, iron bars in the fire-place are glowing hot because of the fire, burning in it. And bending love fled- The poet imagines that in, her old age his beloved would feel that love has left the world, and, lives now in the stars and the mountains. In other words, she will, feel the loneliness of old age, when all lovers will forsake her., Paced upon-walked upon. And paced---Overhead-Love no longer, lives on earth, but upon lofty mountain peaks. And hid---StarsLove, which visits us, in our youth for a while, rises up to the stars, and becomes one with them., , KEY NOTES ON THE POEM, ➢ The speaker addressing his beloved, ➢ Asks her to read the book when she becomes old, ➢ Asks her to dream of her soft looks
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➢ Others loved her physical beauty, ➢ The speaker loves her pilgrim soul, ➢ He loved her joys and sorrows, ➢ She sits by the glowing bars, ➢ Murmuring about how love fled, , -------------------------------END----------------------------
