Interpreting Poetry

When You Are Old

^{BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS}

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 amid a crowd of stars.

The underlined portion above is an example of

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• alliteration

When You Are Old

^{BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS}

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 amid a crowd of stars.

The purpose of the second stanza is to

• explain what it feels like to fall in love

• remind the listener of all the reasons she was loved

• warn others not to change or they will no longer be loved

• create a sadness and sorrow in the listener

When You Are Old

^{BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS}

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 amid a crowd of stars.

The theme or message of "When You Are Old" is

• When in old age, look back fondly on your past.

• Old people are sleepy and slow.

• Everyone has their dying day.

• The past is full of terrifying memories.

At the End

_{by Ed Meek}

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

The italicized red lines are an example of

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• alliteration

At the End

_{by Ed Meek}

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

The tone of the speaker of the poem towards the old man is one of

• tenderness and admiration

• disrespect and dislike

• optimism and cheerfulness

• indifference and uncaring

At the End

_{by Ed Meek}

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

The repetition in the line "the water clear and cold and deep" is an example of

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• alliteration

At the End

_{by Ed Meek}

He was so old his bones seemed to swim in his skin.

And when I took his hand to feel his pulse

I felt myself drawn in. It was as faint

as the steps of a child

padding across the floor in slippers,

and yet he was smiling.

I could almost hear a river

running beneath his breath.

The water clear and cold and deep.

He was ready and willing to wade on in.

What is the theme of "At the End?"

• Facing death is like crossing a raging river.

• The elderly are fragile and must be treated gently.

• There is no reason to fear death.

• Old age is as simple as childhood.