W.B Yeats

“When You Are Old” is a poem by W.B. Yeats that reflects on love and aging, urging the addressee to remember their past beauty and the true love that transcends superficial admiration. It is often interpreted as a poignant reminder of the deeper connections in life. Verses below.

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.

Wife and Old Man in Blue Bathrobe