When You Are Old - Questions & Answers

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Questions and Answers

Comprehension I

1. The poet is addressing

Ans: (a) a young woman the poet has loved

2. In line two, the word ‘book’ refers to

Ans: (b) book of poems

3. The words ‘glad grace’ suggests

Ans: (a) her physical beauty

4. ‘Pilgrim soul’ means the soul

Ans: which is in quest of true love

5. What does the phrase ‘your changing face’ suggest?

Ans: The face that has lost its grace

6. ‘Love fled’ connotes

Ans: (c) the loss endured by her

Comprehension II

1. How is the ‘one man’ different from the many others who loved the lady?

Ans: William Butler Yeats is an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures 20^th century literature. The speaker of the poem addresses the most beautiful lady of his time who does not reciprocate his love. The poet visualizes her old age and thinks that, by then, the lady will be left with none but only with his book of poems that express his true love for her. He now feels that the young lady whom he loves so intensely is surrounded by many young love aspirants who are merely drawn to her physical beauty. He doubts if their intentions of love is true or false. In contrast, he says that he is the one man different from them as he has loved the pilgrim soul in her.

2. Does the poem bring out the transient nature of beauty as against permanence of love?

Ans: William Butler Yeats is an Irish poet and one of the leading writers of 20^th century. His poem, “When You Are Old” mainly speaks about two important combinations: beauty and love and time and regret. Shakespeare in one of his poems said, “Love is not Time’s fool”. That means time cannot control love. True love does not change. However, beauty is subject to change and lose its grace as time passes. Similarly, W.B. Yeats in this poem says that the young lady is surrounded by many who are attracted to her physical beauty. Once it wears off, what remains will be nothing. He states that she does not understand his true love. He loves her spiritual soul rather than her physical self. The poet thus says that the lady who now enjoys attention hardly understands that in future she will be left only with regret. The poem emphasises the fact that beauty is transient against permanence of love.

Comprehension III

1. Comment on the usage of time frame by the poet.

“When You Are Old” is a poem of contrasts. What purposes do they serve?

Ans: When You Are Old is a short love poem written by one of the best known Irish poets W.B. Yeats. Here the poet addresses the most beautiful young lady of his time whom he loved. The poem has a time frame of present and future. Besides, it presents striking contrasts. In the poem the poet feels that his pure love for her is not reciprocated by her, so he asserts his spiritual love. The poem sets up a time frame of present and future in comparison with youth and old age. The lady seems to bask in her stardom as understandably, there are many who just adore her glamour and beauty. The poet has found the pilgrim soul in her which appeals to his heart. The opening stanza presents the picture of the future years when the lady will be left with none but only the lines of the poet. He says that the lady will only regret the loss of her spiritual love and youth.

The poem shifts to the present in the second stanza where the poet brings us the picture of the lady surrounded by love aspirant youth. He regrets that she does not perceive his real spiritual love. The poem concludes with a shift to the future years where she will have lost her beauty and love. The poet sadly concludes that his soul will have traversed beyond her reach over the mountains.

The poet has used wide contrasts in terms of present and future and beauty and time. He takes a conservative stand in his spiritual love in contrast with the many who loved her glad grace. He does not overtly convey his concerns to her while she is engrossed with her role in serious political and social issues.