W.B. Yeats wrote When You are Old in 1895, it is one of his earlier poems and is mostly viewed as being about his unrequited love for Maude Gonne. Maude was an actress that Yeats wrote many poems that referenced his yearning for her and his disdain for the man she married, John MacBride, he portrayed him as a "drunken, vainglorious lout" (YEATS 520). Yet, Yeats was a scholar of spiritual theories, and if you can read this work with a spiritual view, it isn't difficult to see a religious theme present itself as well.
When the reader begins, an image of an old person is brought to mind, it is presumed that it is a woman based on the idea that it is about Maude, but it could also be Yeats himself for there is no specific reference of gender. And this person is reading a book, reflecting on an old love that was felt, but never fulfilled, and how that object of affection has come to pass on. The reader could look at this poem and think that this is a literary way of saying, look at me now! He is assuming he will be an accomplished, published writer and that this work will be in a book for her to be able to sit and read by the fire and lament her disregard for his affection.
Except, what if "this book" is not just a book, but it is a Bible and Yeats were writing this from the perspective of someone that had looked upon Christ with a "soft look" (YEATS 522)? When Christ was alive, there were many that looked upon him with love and affection and many times that he performed acts of healing on those that believed in Him. The first line mentions moments of "glad grace", certainly grace is something that is inherently intertwined with religion and Christ (YEATS 522). And in the third line he uses the word pilgrim which is defined by Dictionary.com as "a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion." The exact line is, "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you," which could be interpreted as a reference to Jesus loving those that sought Him (YEATS 522). Lastly, who else among us besides God can pace mountains and hide his face in the stars (YEATS 522)?
Although the common opinion is that Yeats was writing about Maude and his feelings for her, it can also be seen that his theme is heavy in religious reference. Perhaps, Yeats is portraying this love that he has for Maude as being religious. That is how deeply he felt for her, that his love for her mimicked that of a religious person for Christ.
When the reader begins, an image of an old person is brought to mind, it is presumed that it is a woman based on the idea that it is about Maude, but it could also be Yeats himself for there is no specific reference of gender. And this person is reading a book, reflecting on an old love that was felt, but never fulfilled, and how that object of affection has come to pass on. The reader could look at this poem and think that this is a literary way of saying, look at me now! He is assuming he will be an accomplished, published writer and that this work will be in a book for her to be able to sit and read by the fire and lament her disregard for his affection.
Except, what if "this book" is not just a book, but it is a Bible and Yeats were writing this from the perspective of someone that had looked upon Christ with a "soft look" (YEATS 522)? When Christ was alive, there were many that looked upon him with love and affection and many times that he performed acts of healing on those that believed in Him. The first line mentions moments of "glad grace", certainly grace is something that is inherently intertwined with religion and Christ (YEATS 522). And in the third line he uses the word pilgrim which is defined by Dictionary.com as "a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion." The exact line is, "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you," which could be interpreted as a reference to Jesus loving those that sought Him (YEATS 522). Lastly, who else among us besides God can pace mountains and hide his face in the stars (YEATS 522)?
Although the common opinion is that Yeats was writing about Maude and his feelings for her, it can also be seen that his theme is heavy in religious reference. Perhaps, Yeats is portraying this love that he has for Maude as being religious. That is how deeply he felt for her, that his love for her mimicked that of a religious person for Christ.
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