When You Are Old question and answer for second PUC students. Important notes of the poem When You Are Old. PUC second year notes.
In this post we explained one marks and two marks questions and answers from the poem When You Are Old.
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Notes of the poem When You Are Old
Comprehension I
1. The poet is addressing
Ans: (a) a young woman the poet has loved
2. In line two, the word ‘book’ refers to
Ans: (b) book of poems
3. The words ‘glad grace’ suggests
Ans: (a) her physical beauty
4. ‘Pilgrim soul’ means the soul
Ans: which is in quest of true love
5. What does the phrase ‘your changing face’ suggest?
Ans: The face that has lost its grace
6. ‘Love fled’ connotes
Ans: (c) the loss endured by her
Comprehension II
1. How is the ‘one man’ different from the many others who loved the lady?
Ans: The poet now feels that the young lady whom he loves so intensely is surrounded by many young love aspirants who are merely drawn to her physical beauty. He doubts if their intentions of love are true or false. In contrast, he says that he is the one man different from them as he has loved the pilgrim soul in her.
2. Does the poem bring out the transient nature of beauty as against permanence of love?
Ans: W.B. Yeats in this poem says that the young lady is surrounded by many who are attracted to her physical beauty. Once it wears off, what remains will be nothing. He loves her spiritual soul rather than her physical self. The poet thus says that the lady who now enjoys attention hardly understands that in future she will be left only with regret. The poem emphasises the fact that beauty is transient against permanence of love.
Comprehension III
1. Comment on the usage of time frame by the poet.
OR
“When You Are Old” is a poem of contrasts. What purposes do they serve?
Question and answer of When You Are Old
Ans: The poem has a time frame of present and future. Besides, it presents striking contrasts. In the poem the poet feels that his pure love for her is not reciprocated by her, so he asserts his spiritual love. The poem sets up a time frame of present and future in comparison with youth and old age. The opening stanza presents the picture of the future years when the lady will be left with none but only the lines of the poet.
The poem shifts to the present in the second stanza where the poet brings us the picture of the lady surrounded by love aspirant youth. He regrets that she does not perceive his real spiritual love. The poem concludes with a shift to the future years where she will have lost her beauty and love.
The poet has used wide contrasts in terms of present and future and beauty and time. He takes a conservative stand in his spiritual love in contrast with the many who loved her glad grace.
Extra Questions:
1) How is the journey from youth to old age described in the poem?
Ans: The poem presents a portrait of decaying and dying youth and beauty. Youth is the time of joy and strength. It is the time when one has all the charms and graces. But as we grow old, we become frail. The hair turns grey. We feel sleepy and tired all the time.
Important notes of the poem When You Are Old
2) How is the poet’s love different from those who also loved his beloved?
Ans: The poet’s love depicted in the poem is more spiritual than merely physical. Her youth and beauty would wither and vanish one day. His love for her is sincere. He is not just fascinated by her physical charms, but his love is beyond these transient realms. He loves the holy soul within her. Thus his love is spiritual.
3) What does the phrase ‘full of sleep’ mean?
Ans: The phrase ‘full of sleep’ is a symbol of old age. It means being drowsy and listless all the time. In our old age, we always feel sleepy and tired. The agility of youth remains no longer with us. The life becomes dull and dreary as we wish to keep sitting down.
4) ‘But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you’. Explain.
Ans: The poet reminds her beloved that there were many who loved her when she was young and beautiful. They loved her physical charms. Their love was merely for flesh and bones. The poet tells his beloved that she will realize in her old age the true quality of his love. He loved the pilgrim soul in her.
One mark important question and answer
1. The speaker in ‘When you are old’ addresses____
a) a young lady b) an old lady c) a little girl
Ans. a) a young lady.
2. When according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ will the lady be ‘gray and full of sleep’?
Ans. when she is old and sitting nodding by the fire.
3. Who according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ will be ‘nodding by the fire’?Ans. An old lady with whom the speaker was in deeply love.
When You Are Old extra questions
4. What does the speaker in ‘When you are old’ want his beloved to do sitting by the fire?
Ans. To take down the book of his memories and read it slowly / recall the past memories.
5. What does the speaker in ‘When you are old’ suggest to his beloved to dream of?
Ans. To dream of the soft look her eyes once had and the deep shadows they now have.
6. According to the speaker in ‘When you are old’, what did many admire the lady for?
Ans. According to the speaker many admire the lady for his physical beauty.
7. In the poem ‘When you are old’ many loved the lady’s
a) huge wealth b) physical beauty c) pilgrim soul
Ans. b) physical beauty.
8. Who according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ loved the beloved’s pilgrim soul?
Ans. The speaker / The poet.
9. Whose pilgrim soul did the speaker in ‘When you are old’ love?
Ans. A young lady with whom the speaker is deeply in love.
10. What did the speaker in ‘When you are old’ love besides the pilgrim soul?
Ans. Love the sorrows of changing face of his beloved.
11. Who according the speaker in ‘When you are old’ fled and hid his face?
Ans. According to the speaker in ‘When you are old’, Love fled and hid his face.
12. Where according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ did love pace upon?
Ans. According to the speaker love pace, upon the mountain overheads.
13. What according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ did love hid amid a crowd of stars?
Ans. According to the speaker love hide his face amid a crowd of stars.
Second PUC English notes
14. Where according to the speaker in ‘When you are old’ did love his face?
Ans. Hide his face amid a crowd of stars.
15. The Pilgrim soul means the soul _______
Ans. The soul which is questioning for true love.
16. The speaker suggest his beloved to slowly read the book in ‘When You Are Old’ when she is
a) glad b) proud c) old
Ans. c) old
17. In ‘When You Are Old ‘, the speaker loved ______ of his beloved’s changing face of
a) sorrows b) soft look c) grace
Ans. a) sorrows
18. What look did the woman’s eyes have once in ‘When you are old ‘?
Ans. Soft look
19. According to the speaker, what will woman regret in her old age in ‘When you are old’?
Ans. According to the speaker, the woman will regret that he has rejected the person who truly loved her.
20. Who is the speaker / poet of ‘When You Are Old’?
Ans. William Butler Yeats (W. B. Yeats)
Watch this video for the explanation of When You Are Old questions and answers for class 12.