When You Are Old by W.B Yeats - Explanation
The poem 'When You Are Old' is written by W.B Yeats, one of the foremost 20th-century poet who was also awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for literature. In this poem, the poet claims his persistent and unaging love towards his muse, Maud Gonne even in her older age when she would lose her all elegance and beauty. Each stanza of the poem applies the rhyme scheme of ABBA.
Rhyming Scheme - ABBA CDDC EFFE
Stanza 1
In the stanza, the poet says that when old age and maturity surrounds his muse and she would have grey hair and probably doze at all times, he advises her to take that book and read it slowly and dream about her elegant eyes and their shadows which she had cherished in her youth.
Stanza 2
Although she may be loved by myriad suitors whom she mesmerizes by her 'glad grace' but Yeats questions their love and unfaithful pretensions of many of them. He considers himself the perfect candidate for her who is a devotee of her and her soul is a pilgrimage for him and he will love her the same even when she loses her 'changing face' and beauty with the mar of time.
Stanza 3
When she bends down beside the glowing grate of chimney she would reminisce the old days sadly about the love which has now left and moved above the mountains and hide among stars. Yeats here wants to say that all her suitors would leave her in her old age and she would probably miss her young and bright face. Along with her youth, all the love poured by others would be gone too.
Rhyming Scheme - ABBA CDDC EFFE
Stanza 1
In the stanza, the poet says that when old age and maturity surrounds his muse and she would have grey hair and probably doze at all times, he advises her to take that book and read it slowly and dream about her elegant eyes and their shadows which she had cherished in her youth.
Stanza 2
Although she may be loved by myriad suitors whom she mesmerizes by her 'glad grace' but Yeats questions their love and unfaithful pretensions of many of them. He considers himself the perfect candidate for her who is a devotee of her and her soul is a pilgrimage for him and he will love her the same even when she loses her 'changing face' and beauty with the mar of time.
Stanza 3
When she bends down beside the glowing grate of chimney she would reminisce the old days sadly about the love which has now left and moved above the mountains and hide among stars. Yeats here wants to say that all her suitors would leave her in her old age and she would probably miss her young and bright face. Along with her youth, all the love poured by others would be gone too.