When you are old is a poem written by Irish poet and writer, William Butler Yeats. The poem was originally published in 1893 in poet’s collection “The Rose”. The main theme of poem, “When you are old” is Love, Beauty and Aging.
When You are Old Poem By William Butler Yeats
Summary of When You are Old By W.B Yeats
In poem, poet is addressing his beloved who did not accept his love proposal. When poet was young, he was deeply in love with a woman named Gonne. He proposed her for marriage but she rejected his love always.
The story of poem begins with poet who says, when you will get old and your hair become Grey and you will always feel tiredness. When you were falling asleep by sitting near fire, then you pick this book up and read it slowly and think about your eyes beauty-fullness which they had once and about their deep shadow. Here poet is trying to say, when you will get old then remember how beautiful you were once and how soft were your eyes.
How many people had loved your happiness and glad grace and loved your beauty whether their love was true or false but they loved your beauty. But there was a one man who loved your soul as your soul was emotional and spiritual.
That man also loved you in sorrow and pain which sometime also reflect on your face. Even though you were getting old and your beauty was fading but there was a one man who deeply in love with your soul not your beauty. That person is our poet who was in true love with Gonne.
When you will get alone and sit alone near burning wood then you would murmur a little sadly how love left you and paced upon the mountain overhead. And hide himself among night stars.
Conclusion : In poem, poet is addressing to his lover, as you are young that is why you are rejecting my love because everyone loves your beauty and want to live with you but when your beauty will fade then you will miss me. Then you will remember that there was a man who loved your soul not your beauty. You may not miss my love in your youth days but you will miss me in your old age days for sure.