ESL Blogs

Three things in my life that I'm not fond of; watching movies, ironing and reading poems. Well, I seldom, make it like only if you tied me at a tree and let loose those fire ants, read poems because I never understand them, to be honest. Sometimes it feels like I was reading gibberish. 

Anyway, tonight, while I was ironing, I was also listening (yes! I prefer listening to the television rather than watching it) to a movie called 'Chasing Leprechauns', I was struck by a beautiful poem quoted by the actor. I don't know the name of the poem, but the actor said it was Yeat's.

Therefore, with a few lines still stuck in my head, I left my ironing and browse through the net to find the full poem. I still did not fully understand the meaning of it, but I was struck with his wonderful thought. So I want to share the poem with you guys in here. I hope you will enjoy it, and maybe interpret it for me.

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.

Source : Poetry Foundation