叶芝《当你老了》诗歌赏析

This poem chooses from the poetry "rose" of Yeats, which is written in 1893, it is one of the representative early works of Yeats, addresses to his heart goddess, who is also the most important woman in his life.

“When you are old and gray and full of slee p, a nd nodding by the fire”, the poet starts with a pencil like painting a picture which interlaces the shadow with light , no vivid color, atmospheric background and lingering characters’ move, only a quiet life fabric of old age. Although at this time, Yeats was only 29, his lover was only 27 years old, but the "white head", "Sleep giddy" , "snoozing by the fire", a simple image, but let time rapidly move forth to the future of her. At that time, she lost the charming appearance, lost fresh youth; maybe the readers can't help asking: what kind of emotion is the poet for her at that time. “Take down this book, and slowly read, and dream of the soft look; your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep”, very few words, the poet lead her experience his deep

feeling slowly. Let an old woman to look back may seem to be cruel and the gap between of the contrast will diffuse in the heart. And in this gap, the poet gradually recognizes the firm love, which likes an unexpected gift, a surprise. As if the gentle stream are starting to flow from the iceberg and melting slowly out of it, with the huge source, which is a long process.

The conception of the original whole poem in the first stanza describes that an old woman looks back to her love when she was young. What is love? Perhaps it is only the one who is really experienced that kind of real emotion can have sincerely feelings of its appearance. But no matter how, the memory of love is the sweetest and most often does when he or she is old just as what is written in the poem, beauty is old, the appearance is gone, and she is sitting by the fire and starts reviewing the past love.

“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”,since the poem has already opened, the feeling of the poet has been read slowly, after so long trial, he can't wait to contrast with other admirer, and express his strong feeling in his heart, which has been shaking his emotion.Other's "false or true" has passed through her long life, while his love to her pilgrim's soul, sweet and sad, in a few years. The faith of love let poet could no longer tell carefully, finally he sorrows unbearably, and compares himself to the only person passionately and proudly; "Only a man" is the most interest to her pursues, beyond time, space and secular.

Of course after understanding the heroine of the poetry, the reader is easy to know that she is a free movement warrior, she and Yeats has the common ideal and pursuit, that is the struggle for the liberation of Ireland. What’s more, Yeats is also a poet who possesses mysticism, romantic and aestheticism. At this time, the stream of love as if the flood in the valley, fast but still lonely.