'When You Are Old' Summary

'When You Are Old' is a deeply moving poem that speaks to the universal experiences of love, loss, and the passage of time. The speaker, addressing a woman, imagines her in old age, her beauty faded, and asks her to remember him and the love they shared. The poem weaves together imagery of fading youth, forgotten promises, and the enduring power of art and memory. The speaker's plea to be remembered highlights the poignant contrast between the fleeting nature of physical beauty and the lasting impact of love and artistic expression. Yeats utilizes a melancholic tone and vivid imagery to evoke a sense of regret and the bittersweet nature of love's decline, underscoring the enduring power of memory and the artistic legacy that transcends the limitations of time.