When You Are Old - W.B.

Yeats
These key words reflect the poem's themes of aging, memory, love, and loss.

1. Old 11. Beauty

METAPHORS
2. Gray 12. Love
3. Full of sleep 13. Pilgrim soul 1. "Full of sleep" – A metaphor for old age, suggesting weariness and the approach of
4. Nodding 14. Sorrows death.
5. Fire 15. Changing face
6. Book 16. Glowing bars 2. "Pilgrim soul" – A metaphor for the inner self, suggesting a journey of the spirit or a
search for meaning beyond physical beauty.
7. Dream 17. Love fled
8. Soft look 18. Mountains 3. "Love fled" – A metaphor for lost or distant love, implying that love has retreated or
9. Shadows 19. Stars is no longer present.
10. Grace 20. Murmur
4. "Hid his face amid a crowd of stars" – Love is personified as something cosmic and
KEY CONCEPTS distant, hiding among the stars, symbolizing its elusiveness and unattainability.
themes of love, loss, memory, and the bittersweet nature of life’s fleeting moments.

 Aging and Mortality: The speaker imagines the subject in old age, reflecting on IMAGERIES
the passage of time and the inevitability of growing old.
1. "Gray and full of sleep" – Visual and tactile imagery of old age, evoking a sense of
 Reflection on Youth: The subject is urged to look back on their younger days, tiredness and decline.
when they were admired for their beauty and grace.
2. "Nodding by the fire" – Visual and kinetic imagery, creating a cosy yet melancholic
 Love and Devotion: The poem contrasts superficial love based on external picture of someone resting beside a fire, emphasizing the passage of time.
beauty with a deeper, more enduring love for the "pilgrim soul"—the inner
3. "Take down this book" – Visual imagery that invites the reader to imagine physically
self and spirit.
handling a book, symbolizing the act of reflection.
 The Pilgrim Soul: The idea of a journeying or seeking soul, suggesting the 4. "Soft look" and "shadows deep" – Visual imagery referring to the subject's youthful
person's inner qualities and emotional depth, is central to the poem’s theme beauty, suggesting both light and depth, representing their emotional and spiritual
of true love. layers.

 Loss of Love: Love is depicted as having fled or become distant, symbolized by 5. "Glowing bars" – Visual imagery of the fire, which symbolizes warmth and life, but
its retreat to the mountains and hiding among the stars. also hints at the passage of time and the eventual fading of vitality.

 Regret and Melancholy: The speaker subtly implies that the subject might 6. "Mountains overhead" – Visual imagery suggesting vast, unreachable places,
regret not fully valuing the deeper love they once received, leading to a tone symbolizing love's transcendence or distance.
of sorrow in old age. 7. "A crowd of stars" – Cosmic imagery, evoking a sense of distance, vastness, and
something beyond human reach, often symbolizing fate or lost opportunities.
 Nature and the Cosmic: The imagery of mountains and stars symbolizes vast,
unreachable spaces, possibly representing love’s transcendence or the
unreachable past.

SUNIL VAIJAPURE, GOVERNMENT PRE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAMTHANA, TQ & DIST BIDAR, 9964053601
When You Are Old - W.B. Yeats

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each. III. Answer the following questions in about 60 words each
(2 Marks Questions) (3 Marks)
1. What does the speaker suggest you should do when you are old and tired?
Answer: The speaker suggests that when you are old and tired, you should take down a 1. In the poem, what does the speaker suggest you should do when you are old and sitting
book, read it slowly, and think about how your eyes and their expressions used to be when by the fire?
you were younger. Answer: The speaker suggests that when you are old and sitting by the fire, you should
take down a book, read it slowly, and think about how you looked and felt when you were
2. How does the poem describe the love that the speaker is talking about? younger, remembering your past self.
Answer: The poem describes this love as special because it is not just about physical
beauty but about truly understanding and caring for the person's inner self and their 2. What is meant by "the pilgrim soul" in the poem, and why is it important?
feelings. Answer: "The pilgrim soul" refers to the inner self or spirit that goes through life’s journey.
It is important because the poem shows that true love values this inner self and the
3. What does the speaker mean when they say "Love fled and paced upon the mountains person’s emotions, not just their outer appearance.
overhead"?
Answer: The speaker means that love has gone away and is now distant and hard to reach, 3. How does the poem describe the difference between the love of many people and the
symbolized by the mountains and stars, suggesting that it is no longer close or easy to find. love of one special person?
Answer: The poem describes that many people may love the subject for their looks or
4. What is the speaker asking the reader to do with the book when they are old? happiness, but only one special person truly loves their inner self and the emotions they
Answer: The speaker is asking the reader to take down the book, read it slowly, and experience, showing a deeper and more meaningful kind of love.
remember how they looked when they were younger.
4. What does the poem suggest about the nature of love through the image of love hiding
5. What does the speaker mean by "the pilgrim soul" in the poem? among stars?
Answer: "The pilgrim soul" refers to the inner self or spirit that goes on a journey through Answer: The poem suggests that love can sometimes seem distant or hard to reach,
life, showing that true love values a person’s deeper feelings and character. symbolized by it hiding among stars. This shows that true love might not always be easy to
see or grasp, but it remains important and valuable.
6. How does the poem describe the way others have loved the subject of the poem?
Answer: The poem describes that many people loved the subject for their beauty or 5. What is the significance of the image of love hiding among stars in the poem?
happiness, but only one person loved them for their true inner self and emotional depth. Answer: The image of love hiding among stars signifies that love has become distant and
difficult to find, suggesting that it is no longer close or easily accessible, but it still holds a
7. What image does the poem use to show that love has become distant and hard to special, mysterious value.
reach?
Answer: The poem uses the image of love hiding "amid a crowd of stars" to show that love 6. How does the poem use the idea of "glowing bars" to help you understand the setting?
has become distant and is now far away, symbolizing its inaccessibility. Answer: The poem uses "glowing bars" to describe the warm and comforting fire, setting a
cosy scene where the speaker imagines being old and reflecting on past memories,
8. How can understanding the emotions described in the poem help you appreciate the highlighting the contrast between warmth and the distant past.
true value of someone's love?
Answer: Understanding the emotions in the poem helps you see that true love is not just 7. How does the poem's description of love as something that hides among stars help you
about physical appearance but also about appreciating and caring for a person's inner self understand its meaning?
and feelings, which is more meaningful and lasting. Answer: The poem’s description of love hiding among stars helps you understand that love
can sometimes feel far away or difficult to grasp. It teaches that even though love may
seem distant, it still has great value and significance.

SUNIL VAIJAPURE, GOVERNMENT PRE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAMTHANA, TQ & DIST BIDAR, 9964053601
When You Are Old - W.B. Yeats

IV. Answer the following questions in about 100 words each (FROM QUESTION BANK)
(4 Marks)
II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each.
1. In When You Are Old, how does Yeats use the imagery of aging and reflection to convey (2 Marks Questions)
his message about love and beauty?
Answer: Yeats uses the imagery of aging and reflection to highlight the contrast between 1. When according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ will the lady be ‘gray and full of
superficial and profound love. By imagining someone old and tired, reading a book and sleep’?
reflecting on their past, Yeats underscores how true love appreciates more than just Answer: The lady will be ‘gray and full of sleep’ when she is old and nearing the end of her
physical beauty. The poem suggests that, in old age, one should recognize and value the life.
deeper, inner qualities that true love cherishes—qualities that transcend temporary
physical appearances and are often overlooked. 2. Who according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ will be ‘nodding by the fire’?
Answer: The speaker imagines the lady, now old, ‘nodding by the fire’ as she reflects on
2. How does the poem’s portrayal of the "pilgrim soul" contribute to its overall theme her past.
about the nature of genuine love?
Answer: The portrayal of the "pilgrim soul" in the poem contributes to its theme by 3. What does the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ want his beloved to do sitting by the fire?
emphasizing that genuine love is not limited to physical attributes or fleeting moments of Answer: The speaker wants his beloved to take down the book, read it slowly, and dream
happiness. Instead, it focuses on appreciating and understanding a person’s inner self, about how her eyes and their shadows looked when she was younger.
which endures beyond external changes. This concept reinforces the idea that true love
values and connects with the deep, spiritual journey of a person’s life, rather than merely 4. What does the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ suggest to his beloved to dream of?
their external qualities. Answer: The speaker suggests that his beloved should dream of the ‘soft look’ her eyes
had in the past and of the shadows that were deep in them.
3. What does the imagery of "love fled" and "pacing upon the mountains overhead" reveal
about the speaker’s view on the nature of love? 5. According to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’, what did many admire the lady for?
Answer: The imagery of "love fled" and "pacing upon the mountains overhead" reveals the Answer: Many admired the lady for her physical beauty and moments of grace.
speaker’s view that love can become distant and elusive over time. By depicting love as
having retreated to an unreachable place, the poem suggests that genuine love might not 6. Who according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ loved the beloved’s pilgrim soul?
always be immediately accessible or visible but remains a profound and valuable Answer: According to the speaker, he himself loved the beloved’s pilgrim soul.
experience. This imagery reflects the transient nature of physical beauty and the enduring,
though sometimes distant, essence of true love. 7. Whose pilgrim soul did the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ love?
Answer: The speaker loved his own beloved’s pilgrim soul.
4. In what ways does the poem's reflection on past love encourage readers to think about
their own relationships and experiences? 8. What did the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ love besides the pilgrim soul?
Answer: The poem encourages readers to reflect on their own relationships by contrasting Answer: Besides the pilgrim soul, the speaker loved the sorrows of the beloved’s changing
fleeting physical attraction with deeper, lasting emotional connections. It prompts readers face.
to consider how they value others in their lives, urging them to appreciate the inner
qualities and personal journeys of those they love. By emphasizing that true love 9. Who according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ fled and hid his face?
transcends physical appearances and is rooted in understanding and empathy, the poem Answer: According to the speaker, Love fled and hid his face.
inspires readers to cultivate more meaningful and enduring relationships.
10. Where according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ did love pace upon?
Answer: According to the speaker, Love paced upon the mountains overhead.

11. What according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ did love hide amid a crowd of
stars?
SUNIL VAIJAPURE, GOVERNMENT PRE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAMTHANA, TQ & DIST BIDAR, 9964053601
When You Are Old - W.B. Yeats
Answer: According to the speaker, Love hid his face amid a crowd of stars. Answer: In When You Are Old, Yeats explores the contrast between the fleeting nature of
physical beauty and the enduring nature of true love. The poem reflects on how physical
12. Where according to the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ did love hide his face? beauty fades with age, as represented by the imagery of growing old and becoming "gray
Answer: According to the speaker, Love hid his face among the stars, which symbolize the and full of sleep." This transient quality of beauty is contrasted with the speaker’s love,
vast and unreachable aspects of love. which is depicted as enduring and deeply rooted in the beloved's inner self. The speaker’s
love is not based on her physical appearance but on her true essence and emotional
experiences. The poem suggests that while external beauty is temporary, true love, which
IV. Answer the following questions in about 100 words each appreciates and values a person's inner qualities and experiences, remains constant and
(4 Marks) significant, transcending the changes that come with time.
1. What does the speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ suggest to his beloved to reflect upon?
Answer: In the poem When You Are Old, the speaker suggests that his beloved should 5. ‘When You Are Old’ makes the ‘beloved’ look back on her youth. Discuss.
reflect upon her past as she grows old. He advises her to take down a book, read it slowly, Answer: In When You Are Old, the speaker encourages the beloved to look back on her
and remember the soft look of her eyes and the deep shadows they once held. This youth as she grows old. He suggests that when she is gray and tired, she should take down
reflection should also include recognizing how many people admired her for her physical a book and slowly read it while reflecting on her past. The poem highlights the contrast
beauty and joyful moments. Importantly, the speaker wants her to remember that only between her youthful appearance and her current state, prompting her to remember the
one person—him—truly loved her for her inner self and the sorrows that came with her way her eyes once looked and how many people admired her beauty. This reflection
changing face. This reflection is meant to highlight the enduring value of true love over serves to emphasize the fleeting nature of physical beauty and the lasting significance of
superficial admiration. true love, which the speaker had for her inner self and emotional depth.

2. How does the speaker contrast his love with that of many others in ‘When You Are Old’? 6. The speaker in ‘When You Are Old’ is not addressing an old lady. Explain.
Answer: The speaker contrasts his love with that of many others by emphasizing the Answer: The speaker in When You Are Old is indeed addressing an old lady, but the poem's
difference between superficial admiration and deep, enduring affection. Many people message is meant to reflect on the beloved's past from the perspective of her old age.
loved the beloved for her physical beauty and her moments of happiness. In contrast, the Although the speaker addresses her as an elderly woman who is reflecting on her past, the
speaker's love was unique because it was not based on her external appearance but on her purpose is to convey the enduring nature of true love and the contrast between superficial
inner self—the "pilgrim soul"—and the emotional depth she experienced. He loved not admiration and genuine affection. The poem uses this future perspective to highlight how,
only her enduring inner qualities but also the sorrows of her changing face. This contrast despite the passage of time and changes in physical appearance, the deeper, more
highlights the depth and authenticity of his love compared to the more transient and meaningful aspects of love remain significant.
superficial affections of others.
7. Whose love in ‘When You Are Old’ is immortal? How does the poem present this?
3. How does the poem ‘When You Are Old’ distinguish the speaker’s love from that of Answer: In When You Are Old, the speaker’s love is presented as immortal. The poem
others? conveys this through the contrast between the fleeting nature of physical beauty and the
Answer: The poem distinguishes the speaker’s love from that of others by focusing on the enduring quality of true love. While many admired the beloved for her external beauty and
inner qualities and emotional experiences rather than physical attributes. While many joyful moments, the speaker's love is described as profound and lasting because it
people loved the beloved for her external beauty and joyful moments, the speaker's love appreciates her inner self and emotional experiences. The poem highlights that while
was rooted in a deeper understanding of her true self. He valued her "pilgrim soul"—her physical beauty fades with time, the speaker’s love, which values the beloved’s inner
inner journey and emotional depth—over her physical appearance. The speaker’s love is qualities and life’s journey, remains constant and enduring. This idea is emphasized by the
portrayed as enduring and profound, appreciating the beloved's inner essence and the speaker’s reflection on how only he truly loved her for who she was on the inside, beyond
complexities of her life, which sets it apart from the more superficial love of others who her physical appearance.
admired her beauty alone.

4. ‘When You Are Old’ brings out the transient nature of beauty and permanence of love.
Explain.

SUNIL VAIJAPURE, GOVERNMENT PRE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, KAMTHANA, TQ & DIST BIDAR, 9964053601