ASHAQ HUSSAIN BHAT
TEACHER SCHOOL
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Poem-3 “WHEN YOU ARE OLD” By (W.B. Yeats)
Q1. How is the journey from youth to old age described in the poem?
Ans:-The journey from youth to old age is a long journey. Youth is the time of beauty, joy and strength. It is the time when one has all the charms and graces. But as we grow old, we lose our physical strength and beauty. Our hair turn grey. Our face is covered with wrinkles, all pleasures and false admires fade away. Then we are left alone.
Q2. What does the phrase "full of sleep" mean?
Ans:-The phrase "full of sleep" means approaching death It indicates the natural laziness that comes in to human being as he or she grows old and is near death.
Q3.Why is poet's love different from those who also loved his beloved?
Ans:-The poet's love is different from those who also loved his beloved because the poet loved not her youthful bloom only but 'pilgrim soul within her. His love was purely spiritual, not physical other loved only her youth and her physical beauty.
Q4what is Maud Gonne reminded of in the poem?
Ans:-She is reminded that she will realize the true worth of the poet's love for her in her old age. She will then realize that all those who loved her for her physical beauty have forsaken her completely. She will then feel sad for the poet whose love she had not cared for.
Q5. 'But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you'. Explain.
Ans:- In this line poet tells his beloved that when she was young a number of people loved her for her youth and beauty. But there was one man namely the poet, who had a spiritual kind of love for her. This man was able to look through her physical charms, and perceive the sacred soul within her, a soul that was on a brief pilgrimage to this earth.
Q6. Write a short paragraph of 100-150 words on the emotions portrayed in the poem?
Ans:-This poem captures the poet's regret. He had greatest emotions of love for Maud Gonne who was an Irish revolutionary. But she never responded to his love. The lyric is an expression of his intense emotions. The poet pictures a woman who was very beautiful in her youth. She had attractive eyes and fair hair. Many people loved her at, that stage. But now she has been shown as an old lady with grey hair and wrinkles on her face. The poet becomes emotional and asks her to remember those days of her youth when she possessed extraordinary beauty and was loved by many. Some loved her with sentiment and others with a short-lived selfish passion. But there was one man, namely the poet, who had a spiritual kind of love for her. He loved her even when the sorrow and grief of life had settled down upon her face. This poem paints picture of vanishing youth perishing beauty and the feeling nature of physical love.
Q7. What images does the poet use in the poem?
Ans:-Words that produce various pictures in the mind of the reader are called images. The images used by poet are the
(i).Nodding by the fire.
(ii).Movements of glad grace
(iii).The pilgrim soul.
(iv).Sorrows of your changing face.
(v) A crowd of stars..
Q8.What is the rhyme-scheme of the poem?
Ans-The rhyme-scheme of the poem is abba.
"Summary of the poem"
The poem "when you are old” is written by W.B. Yeats. In this poem, the poet addresses to his beloved, Maud Gonne. He tells her that one day she will become old. She will loss the soft look of her eyes. Her hair will turn grey. She will feel tired all the time. She will spend most of her time by the fire place. The poet wants that she should then take up his book of poems and read it slowly. These poems will remind her of the days when she was young and beautiful. She will remember that there were many men who admired her youthful beauty. But as time passed, and she grew old, all their love disappeared. She will then realize that there was only one who loved her truly. He loved not only her youthful grace but also the sorrows of her changing face. He loved not merely her physical beauty but also the pilgrim soul in her.
Central Idea Of The Poem
In this poem, the poet paint a picture of vanishing youth, perishing beauty and the fleeting nature of physical love. Maud Gonne was poet's beloved. He loved not her youthful bloom only but the "pilgrim soul" within her. His love was purely spiritual. Others loved only her youth and beauty. So with the departure of her youth and beauty, the love of all other lovers vanished but the poet's love remained constant because it had a spiritual basis.
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