Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English When You Are Old Summary, Lesson Explanation with difficult word meanings from Tulip Book
When You Are Old– Are you looking for Summary and Lesson Explanation for Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English Poem 3 When You Are Old from Tulip Book. Get notes, summary of the Lesson followed by line by line explanation of the lesson along with the meanings of difficult words.
When You Are Old Jammu and Kashmir Board Class 10 English
W.B. Yeats
- When You Are Old Introduction
- Theme of the Poem
- Miracles Summary
- When You Are Old Summary in Hindi
- When You Are Old Poem Explanation
- When You Are Old Figures of Speech
When You Are Old Introduction
The poem “When You Are Old” by W.B. Yeats tells us about love, memory, and aging. The poet speaks to a woman, asking her to imagine herself in her old age, sitting by the fire, tired and full of sleep. He suggests that she take down a book and remember her youthful beauty, which many people admired. However, while others loved her for her outward appearance, there was one person who loved her inner self—her “pilgrim soul”—and even cherished her as she changed with age. The poem ends with a sad image of love slipping away, becoming distant like stars in the sky. Through these lines, Yeats explores the fleeting nature of beauty and the deeper, more lasting power of true love.
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Theme of the Poem When You Are Old
The theme of “When You Are Old” by W.B. Yeats revolves around the contrast between superficial love based on physical beauty and deep, enduring love that precedes over appearances. The poem reflects on the inevitability of aging and the transient nature of youth and beauty. While many people may love someone for their external grace and attractiveness, true love is shown to be for the inner self—the “pilgrim soul”—which persists even as physical beauty fades with time.
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When You Are Old Summary
The poem “When You Are Old” by W.B. Yeats talks about the speaker asking a woman to imagine herself in old age, sitting by the fire, tired and sleepy. He tells her to take down a book and remember her youth, when her eyes were full of life and many people admired her beauty. However, he points out that while many loved her for her looks, only one person truly loved her for who she was inside—her “pilgrim soul,” which represents her true self and inner journey through life. As she grows older and her face changes, the poet reminds her that this love was deeper than the love others had for her outward appearance. In the end, the woman is left to sadly reflect on how love faded and became distant, like stars in the sky, no longer within reach. The poem is about the passage of time, the fading of beauty, and the lasting nature of true love.
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When You Are Old Summary in Hindi
डब्ल्यू.बी. येट्स की कविता “व्हेन यू आर ओल्ड” में वक्ता एक महिला से बुढ़ापे में खुद की कल्पना करने के लिए कहता है, वह आग के पास बैठी है, थकी हुई और नींद में है। वह उसे एक किताब लेने और अपनी युवावस्था को याद करने के लिए कहता है, जब उसकी आँखें जीवन से भरी थीं और कई लोग उसकी सुंदरता की प्रशंसा करते थे। हालाँकि, वह बताता है कि जहाँ कई लोग उसे उसके रूप के लिए प्यार करते थे, वहीं केवल एक व्यक्ति वास्तव में उससे प्यार करता था जो वह अंदर से थी – उसकी “तीर्थयात्री आत्मा”, जो उसके सच्चे स्व और जीवन के माध्यम से आंतरिक यात्रा का प्रतिनिधित्व करती है। जैसे-जैसे वह बड़ी होती जाती है और उसका चेहरा बदलता है, कवि उसे याद दिलाता है कि यह प्यार दूसरों के उसके बाहरी रूप के लिए प्यार से कहीं अधिक गहरा था। अंत में, महिला को यह सोचकर दुखी होना पड़ता है कि कैसे प्यार फीका पड़ गया और दूर हो गया, जैसे आकाश में तारे, अब पहुँच में नहीं। कविता समय बीतने, सुंदरता के लुप्त होने और सच्चे प्यार की स्थायी प्रकृति के बारे में है।
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When You Are Old Poem Explanation
Poem:
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;
Word Meanings:
shadows (n): here, a suggestion of depth or emotion in someone
Explanation: The poet asks the woman to imagine herself when she is old, with grey hair and feeling tired. He pictures her sitting by the fire, sleepy and nodding off. The poet suggests that she pick up a book and read it slowly, remembering how her eyes used to look soft and full of life when she was young. He also asks her to recall the deep emotions and feelings that her eyes once held. This passage is talking about reflecting on youth and beauty as they fade with age, and it asks the woman to think about the past.
Poem:
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;
Word Meanings:
moments of glad grace (n): youth and beauty
pilgrim soul (n): pure heart / soul of Maud Gonne
Explanation: The poet is reflecting on how many people admired the woman during her youth, when she was graceful and beautiful. He notes that many loved her for her appearance, whether their love was sincere or shallow. However, only one person—the poet himself—truly loved her for her “pilgrim soul,” which means he loved her for who she was on the inside, beyond just her outer beauty. His love was deep and lasting, focused on her true self, which continues to grow and change, much like a pilgrim on a journey. Here, the poet speaks of how he not only loved the woman’s beauty, but also loved her as she grew older and her face changed with age, showing signs of sadness and time passing.
Poem:
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid face amid a crowd of stars.
Word Meanings:
glowing bars (n): fireplace
sorrows (n): a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others
fled (v): run away from a place or situation
murmur (n): to speak softly
paced (v): walk at a steady speed
overhead (adverb): above the level of the head; in the sky
amid (preposition): surrounded by; in the middle of.
Explanation: He imagines the woman in her old age, sitting by the fire (“glowing bars”), sadly reflecting on how love faded and became distant. She softly talks about how love, once so present, has now fled, moving far away, as if walking on the mountains above. Love is now unreachable, hiding among the stars, meaning something beautiful but distant and lost forever. These lines express a sense of regret and loss, as the woman looks back on love that has slipped away with time.
JKBOSE Class 10 English Poem 3 When You Are Old Figures of Speech
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature.
- “Full of sleep”- This metaphor compares old age and weariness to being “full of sleep,” suggesting the slow, tired state of life in old age.
- “Pilgrim soul”- The metaphor of a “pilgrim soul” symbolizes the woman’s inner self, which is on a journey through life, contrasting with her external beauty.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses.
- The poem has a lot of vivid imagery, such as the description of the woman as “old and grey and full of sleep,” sitting “beside the glowing bars” of a fire. These images create a picture of old age, warmth, and reflection.
- Repetition: Repetition is a literary device in which a word or phrase is used multiple times to create rhythm or emphasize a word or phrase.
- The word “loved” is repeated several times to emphasize the difference between those who loved the woman for her external beauty and the one man (the poet) who loved her for her inner self.
- Symbolism: It is a literary device wherein words and images are used to symbolize specific concepts, people, objects, or events
- The “crowd of stars” symbolizes the distance and fading nature of love, which has moved beyond reach, becoming part of something vast and unattainable.
- The fire symbolizes warmth and comfort, but also the passage of time and the eventual fading of life.
- Personification: Personification is the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc., as in art and literature.
- “How Love fled” and “Paced upon the mountains” and “Hid his face amid a crowd of stars”- Love is personified as a figure that can flee, walk on mountains, and hide among stars, emphasizing its elusive and distant nature by the end of the poem.