When You Are Old - W.B. Yeats
A Reflection on Age, Love, and Memory
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face among a crowd of stars.
W.B. Yeats’s “When You Are Old” is a gentle yet poignant address to a beloved, offering a glimpse into the future when the person has aged. The poem invites the reader to reflect on past youth, beauty, and the nature of true love. Yeats evokes an image of the beloved sitting by the fire, rereading lines that once captured her youthful allure. He contrasts the superficial admirers—those who merely loved her external beauty—with the enduring devotion of the speaker, who treasured her “pilgrim soul” and embraced her changing face.
Through rich imagery, Yeats emphasizes both the physical changes that come with age and the emotional resonance of deep affection. The soft look in the beloved’s eyes and the mention of “shadows deep” point to the intimacy and complexity of her identity. By framing the poem in the second person (“When you are old...” and “And nodding by the fire...”), Yeats makes the reader an active participant in this envisioned future moment of reflection.
The final stanza hints at the fleeting nature of love when it is taken for granted—or perhaps unrecognized in the present. The image of Love fleeing to hide “among a crowd of stars” suggests both cosmic distance and the sense of regret that can accompany lost opportunities. Yet, the poem also celebrates a constant love that endures even as time brings inevitable changes. In this way, Yeats juxtaposes impermanence and steadfastness. The speaker’s sincerity implies that genuine love is grounded not in physical appearance but in understanding and embracing the beloved’s evolving soul.
Ultimately, “When You Are Old” invites us to consider how we view love and aging. By projecting forward in time, Yeats underscores that true affection transcends youth and outward beauty. In highlighting the difference between passing admiration and deep devotion, the poet offers a timeless commentary on what it means to cherish another person wholeheartedly. It is, at its core, a reflection on life’s fleetingness—yet it leaves the reader with a sense of the profound, irreplaceable worth of genuine connection, even when only rediscovered in memory or in later years.
Key points
1. True love cherishes the inner self beyond outward beauty.
2. Aging highlights the depth and sincerity of affection.
3. Regret and longing accompany missed chances for genuine connection.
4. Yeats uses the future tense to invite reflection on the lasting resonance of love’s devotion.