An analysis of the Famous Poem When You are Old 02 0201014230 Abstract: The essay analyzes the linguistic

istic features of the poem When You are Old

written by William Butler Yeats. n this paper! it first states the brief accounts of the author an" the poem. Then it focuses on its linguistic presentations# rhythm! assonance! repetition! conceit! metaphor an" other linguistic features. Key words: rhythm! assonance! conceit! metaphor 1. Brief account of the author William Butler Yeats $1%&'(1)3)*! rish poet! "ramatist an" prose writer! one of the greatest +nglish(language poets of the 20th century. Yeats recei,e" the -obel .rize for /iterature in 1)23.Between the 0eltic ,isions of THE WANDERINGS OF OISIN $1%%)* an" the intellectual! often obscure poetry of the 1)30s! Yeats pro"uce" a tremen"ous amount of wor1s. n his early career Yeats stu"ie" William Bla1e2s poems! +manuel 3we"enborg2s writings an" other ,isionaries. /ater he e4presse" his "isillusionment with the reality of his nati,e country. 0entral theme in Yeats2s poems is relan"! its bitter history! fol1lore! an" contemporary public life. 2. Brief account of the poem n the poem When You Are Old, it presumes an ol" la"y no""ing by the fire an" recalle" the 5soft loo16 an" the true lo,e she e,er ha" an" now they ha" gone with the win". The poem stri,es to "epict how the woman the poet lo,es will realize in her ol" age that she has misse" the opportunity to own the true lo,e. n fact! this is a real "escription of the poet7s lo,e. n 1%%) Yeats met his great lo,e! 8au" 9onne $1%&&( 1)'3*! an actress an" rish re,olutionary who became a ma:or lan"mar1 in his life an" imagination. ;ow e,er! she marrie" 8a:or <ohn 8acbri"e in 1)03! an" this episo"e inspire" Yeat7s to write "own this heart(stirring poem. By writing this poem! Yeats attempts to "iminish her beauty an" enhance his greatness! yet in the process! he en"s up ma1ing himself loo1 li1e a broo"ing man unable to get o,er this his lo,e for this woman. While many critics belie,e that the poem ser,es to show the woman2s regret for not realizing his "eep lo,e for her! it also presents the resentment he feels towar" her for not reciprocating his lo,e. Yeats2s usage of imagery an" "iction ma1e both the tones of regret an" resentment foun" in the poem possible. The ambiguity of the last stanza of the poem! another issue "ebate" by critics! further illustrates that the poem is not only about the regret the woman feels when she becomes aware of what she has lost= it strengthens the argument that this wor1 is actually about the resentment he wants the woman to percei,e. 3. Ma or theme of the poem When you are old was written to show the true an" unforgettable lo,e from the writer. The theme is the painful one of unre>uite" lo,e! which Yeats manipulates in
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an interesting manner. nstea" of focusing upon the present or the past! as is usually the case with this often use" theme! Yeats loo1s to the future! a future in which the two people in the poem are "estine" to be fore,er apart. t is rich with mythical imagery in this poem. The poet imagine" an unreal con"ition that the woman he lo,e" became ol" an" felt regret for refusing his true lo,e. ?sing the elegant an" >uiet wor"s! the poet e4press the ,iewpoint that no matter how time flies! when lo,e was car,e" with a "eeply painful mar1ing an" went through the har" time! its "ignity! purity! as well as beauty will appear. The theme is the painful one of unre>uite" lo,e! which Yeats manipulates in an interesting manner. nstea" of focusing upon the present or the past! as is usually the case with this often use" theme! Yeats loo1s to the future! a future in which the two people in the poem are "estine" to be fore,er apart. !. "in#uistic presentation of the poem. a. Phonolo#ical features. t can be seen that this poem comprises of 3 >uatrains which the stanza of "ouble( rhyme 4 lines. t has a >uiet! "reamli1e feeling to it! achie,e" by an un"ulating rhyme scheme $@BB@*. @s the pattern is simple! there is only simple soun" patterning use" in the poem! such as# $nd rhyme. 3uch as# full of sleepA their sha"ows deep = Bi#C "own this bookA "ream of the soft look = BuC gla" gra e A changing !a e =BeiC false or "rue A soul in you = Bu#C glowing bars A a crow" of s"ars = Ba#C how lo,e !led A the mountains o#erhead.BaeC %nternal rhyme. @n" nodd$ng by the fire! ta1e "own this book% @n" lo,e" your beau"y with lo,e false or "rue& Assonance. 3uch as# line 3 $rea" A "ream* b. &raphical feature. n this poetry ! the writer gi,es the rea"ers a general appearance of a picture that an ol" woman was sitting besi"e the fire! no""ing! memories came into her min". Drom the wor"s gray! slo'ly read! we can imagine the woman is rather ol" an" what she thin1 is the past moment that of glad gra e. @n" this lea"s to the later part of the poetry that ho' lo#e !led. That the unhappy en"ing only becomes apparent in the last stanza ma1es it all the more poignant= the first two stanzas are somewhat ambiguous ( it is unclear as to what the situation is regar"ing the relationship being written about. The first stanza is an intro"uction! setting the scene an" imme"iately creating a soothing! thoughtful an"
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"reamli1e atmosphere. Yeats achie,es this by careful wor" selection in his "escription of the future. .hrases such as Eol" an" grey EEslowly rea"E all ser,e to calm rea"ers! lull them into the same "rowsiness that the narrator imagines the sub:ect of his poem will be in so many years2 time. The secon" stanza is an e4pression of his lo,e for her! claiming that only he lo,e" her beyon" physical attraction. Whereas others Elo,e" your beauty with lo,e false of true E! he lo,e" her Epilgrim soulE. n other wor"s! he lo,e" her e,er(changing $hence the wor" EpilgrimE* personality= he lo,e" her all the time! no matter Ethe sorrows of your changing faceE. Feli,ering the main emotional impact of the poem! the last stanza re,eals how his lo,e was ne,er returne". The final two lines "escribe how lo,e e,a"e" them both# EAnd pa ed upon "he (oun"a$ns o#erhead And h$d h$s !a e a($d a ro'd o! s"ars E This is a ,ery strong image= the night s1y is tra"itionally a ,ery romantic thing! an" the i"ea of lo,e itself is to hi"e among the stars is a powerful one. The punctuation changes in the final stanza. Whereas the first two are rife with commas! slowing the pace an" in"ucing a "reamli1e state of calm! the thir" omits almost all punctuation ( the last three lines are one continuous sentence with no a""e" punctuation. t is as if the narrator has finally accepte" that his lo,e will always be unre>uite"! an" he stops "reaming about the future= the warm! "rifting nature of the poem e,ol,es to become a col"! lingering en"ing. c. "e'ical features. The poem 'hen you are old is rich with mythical imagery. The ambiguity of certain images is foun" within its abstract wor"s. Dor instance! the wor" nodd$ng. @s the first line turns into the secon"! a general meaning is transforme" into something more particular= the sleep of impen"ing "eath becomes the weariness of one )nodd$ng by "he !$re&) The first two lines suggest comfort in ol" age. Feath is not a ,iolent en" but something one )!alls $n"o) as easily as sleep. There is ambiguity here (( to sleep ne4t to a cozy fire may be an attracti,e proposition! yet gi,en the age an" the connotation of the sleep from which one "oes not awa1en in this worl"! she who is )nodd$ng by "he !$re) may also be )dy$ng by "he !$re,) e4piring as a fire is also e4tinguishe". @lso! it can be seem from the wor" so!"& The secon" stanza is "escripti,e of her "ream of the past. @s a transition from the first stanza into the secon"! she remembers her own )so!" look,) her eyes an" )"he$r shado's deep&) Drom this image of her youthful gaze we are brought bac1 to a more general ,iew again= she is remin"e" of those who lo,e" her )(o(en"s o! glad gra e) an" her Ebeauty with lo,e false or true.E What7s more! the unhappy en"ing only becomes apparent in the last stanza ma1es it all the more poignant Yeats achie,es this by careful wor" selection in his "escription of the future. .hrases such as )old and grey) )!ull o! sleep) )nodd$ng by "he !$re)
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)slo'ly read )drea( o! "he so!" look) all ser,e to calm rea"ers! lull them into the same "rowsiness that the narrator imagines the sub:ect of his poem will be in so many years2 time. d. (yntactic features. )epetition. The whole poetry is written in narration. The con:unction wor" and is use" for se,en times in the hea" of the poem. 3uch as# And nodd$ng by "he !$re**and slo'ly read**% and bend$ng do'n bes$de**& This wor" is use" in repetition as to lin1 the mo,ements of the ol" woman coherently. @n" the picture in the rea"er7s min" will become more ,i,i". n my opinion! repetition is use" for s1ille" effects. t effecti,ely carries ol" age from the title into the opening lines. t also stylistically mar1s the first stanza by si4 uses of the con:unction and! perhaps to in,o1e a more collo>uial register an" also to slow "own the rhythm almost to the threshol" of immobility! symbolic for the physical incapacity of persons in e4treme ol" age. The flow of speech is a""itionally minimize" or obstructe" by a "isproportionate number of commas. @s we procee" from the first to the secon" stanza $line '*! time is turne" bac1. The a""ressee! transferre" to an earlier location! regains a social role as an ob:ect of unstinting general a"miration $'( &*. This shift goes aptly han" in han" with a shift in rhythm an" a smoother an" more elegant patterning of soun"s. We still ha,e "ual options of ta1ing the lines to be either an e4pression of the spea1er7s reproach to the a""ressee on her youthful in"ifference! or an in"ulgence in self(pity an" sentimental longing. @t the beginning of the last stanza $line )*! the return of the a""ressee to the location of the first stanza is accompanie" by restoration of the rhythmic pattern of the first stanza! e.g.! in the lines beginning with And $11 an" 12 ,s. 2 an" 3*. The brea1 in line 10 goes with a shift in focus from spea1er or a""ressee o,er to +o#e! personifie" as an acti,e agent of male gen"er. +o#e can be associate" with the spea1er himself. e. Fi#ures of speech. 1* +sin# conceit. The whole poetry is :ust an illusion from the writer. n fact! the woman in the poem was :ust marrie" someone $but not the writer* in her young age when the poet wrote "own this poem. The aim for the writer to represent the girl in such an appearance is to show that the true lo,e of the writer won7t "isappear when the beauty left the woman. But the woman he lo,e" "i"n7t appreciate it! so the writer put a further ,iew in the ol" age of the woman that she may feel regret about this. ;is face hi" Eami"

a crow" of stars!E an abstract image issuing from a more concrete "escription of loneliness an" regret! spea1s to that which is beyon" her reach= it is a lo,e that has become perfect an" absolute in it! which ma1es her feeling of sa" regret all the more star1. The poem begins EWhen you are ol"...!E rather than E-ow that you are ol"...!E which suggests that it is a warning! or a :u"gment upon an unre>uite" sub:ect of lo,e. 2* +sin# metaphor. n this poetry! the 5no""ing by the fire6 is use" as a metaphor. The first two lines suggest comfort in ol" age. Feath is not a ,iolent en" but something one Efalls intoE as easily as sleep. There is ambiguity here (( to sleep ne4t to a cozy fire may be an attracti,e proposition! yet gi,en the age an" the connotation of the sleep from which one "oes not awa1en in this worl"! she who is Eno""ing by the fireE may also be E"ying by the fire!E e4piring as a fire is also e4tinguishe". Gn the other han"! the broa" notion of nearness to "eath an" the sub,ersi,e fears an" sa"ness it connotes is >uic1ly brought into focus with a contrasting concrete image# an el"erly somebo"y no""ing by a fire. 3he who is Eol" an" grey an" full of sleepE begins to rea". The phrase Efull of sleepE both carries the broa" connotation of "eath! an" "escribes the sleeping that lea"s to "reaming. Hea"ing! then! these wor"s! she begins to "ream about the past an" her own youth in a self(reflecti,e way. The "ream continues as she ben"s E"own besi"es the glowing barsE of the fire! perhaps see1ing warmth or comfort (( suggesting the "esire an" nee" for the fiery lo,e she once re:ecte". 3he murmurs! as those who are alone might instea" of spea1ing alou"! testifying to her isolation! Ea little sa"ly.E Drom this concrete image the "ream again e4pan"s! an" we see /o,e! capitalize" as an absolute! fleeing! effortlessly into mountainous "istances.

,onclusion: n this paper! it analyzes the poem When You are Old in the aspects of the en" rhythm! internal rhythm! assonance! conceit! metaphor an" other features. @n" its purpose is to ma1e the rea"ers ha,e a "eeper un"erstan"ing of the poetry an" appreciate it. )eference: 1. Iou :ie! Yeats an" his Jwhen You @re Gl"7! <ouranl of Ki>ihar ?ni,ersity !B C! 3eptember! 2001.

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Appendi': When You @re Gl" LLby William Butler Yeats 1 When you are ol" an" gray an" full of sleep 2 @n" no""ing by the fire! ta1e "own this boo1! 3 @n" slowly rea"! an" "ream of the soft loo1 4 Your eyes ha" once! an" of their sha"ows "eep= ' ;ow many lo,e" your moments of gla" grace! & @n" lo,e" your beauty with lo,e false or true= M But one man lo,e" the pilgrim soul in you! % @n" lo,e" the sorrows of your changing face= ) @n" ben"ing "own besi"e the glowing bars! 10 8urmur! a little sa"ly! how lo,e fle" 11 @n" pace" upon the mountains o,erhea"! 12 @n" hi" his face ami" a crow" of stars.
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