When You Are Old

-by William Butler Yeats

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1

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;

Explanation

In the first stanza, the speaker imagines the woman he loves in her old age, sitting by a fire, tired and sleepy. He asks her to pick up a book (likely a book of his poems) and read it slowly, letting it remind her of her youth. The “soft look” in her eyes refers to the beauty and warmth she once had, while “shadows deep” suggests the depth and mystery of her gaze, perhaps hinting at her inner complexity or emotions. The speaker sets a reflective tone, encouraging her to think back on her past when she’s frail and aged.

2

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;

Explanation

Here, the speaker reflects on how many people admired the woman for her beauty and charm (“moments of glad grace”). Some loved her sincerely, others superficially (“love false or true”). However, the speaker claims he was different—he loved her “pilgrim soul,” meaning her inner spirit, her quest for meaning, or her deeper self, not just her looks. He also loved “the sorrows of your changing face,” showing he cherished her through the aging process and the emotional struggles that marked her life. This stanza highlights the depth of his love compared to others.

3

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled,
And paced upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Explanation

In the final stanza, the old woman is pictured leaning closer to the fire’s “glowing bars” (the fireplace grate), feeling a pang of sadness. She murmurs to herself about how “Love” (personified as the speaker’s love or love itself) has disappeared. The imagery of Love pacing “upon the mountains overhead” and hiding “amid a crowd of stars” suggests that love has become distant, unattainable, or lost in the vastness of time and space. The stanza conveys regret, as she realizes the speaker’s true love was unique and now gone, leaving her with only memories.

Difficult Words and Their Meanings

1. Nodding: Dozing off or moving the head slightly, often because of tiredness or being lost in thought.
2. Take down: To pick up or take something (like a book) from a shelf or place.
3. Shadows deep: Refers to the deep, mysterious, or soulful quality in her eyes, like a depth of emotion or experience.
4. Glad grace: A joyful or charming elegance in her behavior or appearance.
5. Pilgrim soul: Her inner spirit or soul that seeks meaning, truth, or a higher purpose, like a traveler on a spiritual journey.
6. Sorrows: Sadness or emotional pain that comes with life’s changes or hardships.
7. Changing face: Her face as it ages over time, showing signs of life’s experiences.
8. Glowing bars: The metal grate of the fireplace, glowing from the heat of the fire.
9. Murmur: To speak or whisper softly, often to oneself.
10. Love fled: Love (the speaker’s love or love in general) that has escaped or gone away.
11. Paced: Walked back and forth, suggesting restlessness or movement.
12. Amid: In the middle of or surrounded by.