When You Are Old Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the main theme of ‘When You Are Old’ by W.B. Yeats?
The poem explores a relationship of unrequited love, where the speaker addresses the female object of his unreturned love, predicting her reflections in old age.
How many stanzas are in ‘When You Are Old’?
The poem consists of 3 stanzas, each containing 4 lines.
What is the rhyme scheme of ‘When You Are Old’?
The rhyme scheme is abba / cddc / effe.
What rhythm is used in ‘When You Are Old’?
The poem employs a basic iambic pentameter rhythm, with 10 syllables per line.
What effect does the regularity in form and structure have in the poem?
It produces a smooth, flowing rendition that mirrors the constant nature of the poet’s love, creating an earnest, tender, melancholic tone.
What is notable about the language used in ‘When You Are Old’?
The language is simple and accessible, primarily using monosyllabic words.
What sound effects are present in Stanza 1?
Stanza 1 features assonance with long vowel sounds and repetition of the conjunction ‘and’ to create a slow, sad atmosphere.
What contrasts are highlighted in Stanza 1?
There are contrasts between imagery of age and loneliness versus youthful beauty and intensity of character.
What is the significance of the verb ‘dream’ in Stanza 1?
The verb ‘dream’ underscores the reality of time passing and missed opportunities in love.
What themes are emphasized in Stanza 2?
Stanza 2 emphasizes the uniqueness of W.B. Yeats’s love compared to the many admirers of Maud Gonne.
How does Stanza 2 contrast W.B. Yeats’s love with others?
It contrasts the idea of ‘many’ admirers with ‘one man’, highlighting the depth of W.B. Yeats’s feelings.
What imagery is used in Stanza 3?
Stanza 3 uses imagery of the speaker’s love enduring beyond death, with references to a restless, wandering spirit.
What does the phrase ‘a crowd of stars’ symbolize in the poem?
It symbolizes the many lovers of Maud Gonne in life, with W.B. Yeats remaining unnoticed in the background.
What autobiographical context is relevant to ‘When You Are Old’?
W.B. Yeats had a deep infatuation with Maud Gonne, which influenced his poetry despite her marriage to another man.
What literary influence shaped W.B. Yeats’s poetry?
W.B. Yeats was influenced by French poets in the 1890s, particularly Ronsard’s work.
Quotes in stanza 1
• use of assonance (vowel repetition): poem packed with sound effects e.g. the long vowel sounds in ‘look / book’ and ‘sleep / deep’), helping to produce the effect of sadness
• repetition of conjunction ‘and’ (6 times): contributes to the slow pace of the poem, almost soporific effect, appropriate for the atmosphere of old age
Quotes in stanza 2
repetition of ‘love…/…loved’ emphasising the theme, suggestive of different kinds of ‘love’
• contrast between ‘many’ and ‘one man’, underlining the theme of the second stanza, and the whole poem - the uniqueness of WBH’s ‘love’, different from all others
Quotes in stanza 3
the opening conjunction ‘And’ (carrying the writer’s thought and emotion across the stanza break) adds to the poet’s imagined picture of the loved one in old age, returning to the image of her alone, by ‘the glowing bars’ of a fire, ‘bending down’, perhaps to stoke it
• ‘fire’ is sometimes an image symbolising love/passion - the passage of time leads to a fire, whether literal or metaphorical, fading and dying (metaphorically, the image of MG stoking the ‘fire’ may be suggestive of her popularity waning through time and the love of others dying)
