06. When You Are Old Notes - KannadaPdf.

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Class : 2nd Puc

Subject : English
Chapter Name : When You Are Old

Answer The Following Questions

1. The poet is addressing

A young WOMAN THE POET HAS LOVED

2. In line two, the word ‘book’ refers to

a. MEMORIES

3. The words ‘glad grace’ suggest

a. HER PHYSICAL BEAUTY

4. Pilgrim soul’ means the soul

WHICH IS QUESTING FOR TRUE LOVE

5. What does the phrase ‘your changing face’ suggest?

It suggests that her youth and beauty will fade away. When she grows old her
face will get shrunk and will look different

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 06. When You Are Old Notes - KannadaPdf.com
6. Love fled’ connotes

The fleeing of her lover to the mountains

7. To whom is the poem ‘when you are old’ addressed?

The poem ‘When you are old’ is addressed to a young lady with whom the
speaker is deeply in love

8. What does the speaker want his beloved to do sitting by the fire?

The speaker wants his beloved to sit by the fire and reminisce (recall) her
memories of the past

9. Where, according to the speaker, had love hidden his face?

According to the speaker, ‘love’ had hidden his face amid a crowd of stars. It
refers to the possibility that the speaker could die due to disappointment and
frustration and seek a place in the heavens

10. Which is possible to infer about the speaker of ‘when you are old’?

He is saddened by rejection

11. What does the phrase ‘full of sleep’ mean?

The phrase ‘full of sleep’ means that she is old, tired and is going to die in the
near future. It suggests lack of vitality and youthfulness.

12. Who does the speaker picture as ‘nodding by the fire’?

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 06. When You Are Old Notes - KannadaPdf.com
The speaker depicts his lady love as an old woman sitting beside the fire,
nodding her head.

13. What does the speaker want his beloved to dream of?

The speaker wants his beloved to dream of herself as an old and gray woman
nodding by the fire.

14. What are ‘your moments of glad grace’?

The phrase ‘your moments of glad grace’ refers to her elegance and beauty
as a young woman. Here it refers to the occasions when many suitors were
mesmerized by her beauty and elegant youth.

15. What is the aspect of the beloved that the speaker feels affinity for?

The speaker feels affinity for her pilgrim soul which means her inner self and
not her exterior beauty

16. What does ‘ the sorrows of your changing face’ refer to?

‘The sorrows of your changing face’ refer to the changes seen in her face as
she grows older. Her face will have shrunk and wrinkles which appeared on
her forehead and face depict the difficulties and sorrows faced by her over the
years.

17. What would be the fate of the speaker’s love and why?

Having waited that longer the speaker could die due to disappointment
present, takes her to an unreal condition in the future and asks her to recall
her past memories. It is written to express his true and unforgettable love.

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 06. When You Are Old Notes - KannadaPdf.com
The poem bring out many contrasts. There is contrast between a) physical
beauty and inner beauty b) youth and old age c) happiness and sadness.

The first stanza highlights the contrast between her elegant youth and her
depressing old age. The second stanza mentions about the many suitors who
had fallen for her physical beauty, while the speaker alone had appreciated
her inner beauty.

The third stanza speaks of the transient love represented by many suitors and
the permanence of his love.

There is a contrast between the ‘moments of glad grace’ and ‘ the sorrows of
changing face’ that represent the youth and the old age. The

poet wants her to recollect the happiness of her youth, while she is sad and
regretful in her old age. By bringing in all these contrasts the speaker wants to
persuade the young lady not to ignore him now and regret later.

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