When You Are Old
When you are old and gray 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.
©WilliamButlerYeats
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Poem ‘When You are Old’ by William Butler Yeats
This poem was written for Maud Goone for which he had a vey complicated relationship of unrequited love. In deep depression from the death of her two year old he wrote the poem.
She was an Irish revolutionary who ended up marrying another man despite many proposals from Yeats. He himself would go on to marry another, but many see ‘When You Are Old’ as a poem highlighting the failed relationship with Goone.
The poem is seen as one that is filled with love, but the last stanza is dark; the speaker is reminding his former mistress that their love did not last, and this is something she should regret for the rest of her life.
William Butler Yeats, widely considered one of the greatest poets of the English language, received the 1923 Nobel Prize for Literature.
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Daily Prompt – Gray
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May 11, 2017 at 1:55 pm
thanks for sharing this post!….
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April 27, 2017 at 6:06 am
A new one to me, and a great rad, thanks Issy ❤
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April 27, 2017 at 4:56 pm
It’s been a pleasure to introduce this poet to you.
Thank you, Gilly. 😍
Issy 😎
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April 26, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Beautiful and even more so when you know the story behind it. I think the poem is telling her he loves her and always will.
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April 26, 2017 at 11:49 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed this, PJ. Yeats had an interesting life. His love for Maud was never ending.
His poetry and paintings were award winning. Thank you …
Isadora 😎
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April 26, 2017 at 1:20 am
I’ve not seen this before. Thanks for sharing.
janet
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April 26, 2017 at 11:44 pm
Yeats has an interesting biography. He was a great poet and painter.
Glad you enjoyed, Janet. Thank you …
Isadora 😎
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April 25, 2017 at 11:03 pm
Perfectly lovely poem, Issy. Thank you. 😘
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April 26, 2017 at 11:53 pm
Thank you, Sylvia. Yeats had a very interesting life. I recently read it and this poem.
Isadora 😎
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April 25, 2017 at 9:37 pm
This poem is so graceful, just like aging. I love it, and glad I read it today. I needed it.
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April 26, 2017 at 11:54 pm
The back story of the poem is intriguing. I recently read Yeats biography. He was driven by his love for her though inreturned.
I’m pleased you enjoyed this. Thank you …
Isadora 😎
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April 27, 2017 at 12:04 am
Thx for backstory.
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April 25, 2017 at 8:53 pm
I love this poem. It’s apparently about old age, but as you say I can also see regret and unrequited love. Beautiful.
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April 26, 2017 at 11:56 pm
Yeats had an interesting life. I enjoyed reading about it recently. His poetry was award winning.
Thank you …
Isadora 😎
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