The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner
- W. B Yeats (1865-1939)
The poem "The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner" is about an old man who looks back on his younger days and misses them. When he was younger, he had a good job, friends and lovers who followed him, and he enjoyed talking about love and politics. But now that he is old, he is weak and not attractive anymore, and no one follows him anymore. He feels jealous of young people who can still stand up to injustice and be involved in love and politics. The old man believes that the reason for his current state is because of the passage of time, which he thinks of as his enemy. Time has taken away his youth, strength, and good looks. Even though the old man is not young anymore, he still has the same feelings and desires as when he was younger, and he wishes he could have those things back. The poem shows the old man's sadness about losing his youth and how he wishes he could return to the past.
Question Answers :
1. What is the main subject of the poem "The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner"?
Answer: The main subject of the poem is the speaker's reflections on his youth and how it compares to his current old age.
2.How does the speaker feel about his youth compared to his current old age?
Answer: The speaker looks back on his youth with fondness and misses it, but he is unhappy with his current old age because he is weak, unattractive, and no longer able to engage in love and politics.
3.Who or what does the speaker blame for his current state?
Answer: The speaker blames the passage of time for his current state, and sees it as his enemy because it has robbed him of his youth and vitality.
4.What feelings and desires does the speaker still have in his old age?
Answer: The speaker still has the same passions and desires that he had in his youth, including the desire for love and conversation.
5.How does the speaker feel about the loss of his youth?
Answer: The speaker feels regret and sadness about the loss of his youth, and wishes he could return to the past.
6.How does the speaker describe his youth in the poem?
Answer: The speaker describes his youth as a time of joy, vitality, and the ability to engage in love and politics. He had friends and lovers who followed him, and he enjoyed talking about love and politics.
7.How does the speaker describe his current old age in the poem?
Answer: The speaker describes his current old age as weak, unattractive, and powerless, and no longer having the same level of attractiveness or sexual power. He is envious of young people who are able to challenge injustice and engage in politics and love, while he is no longer able to do so.
8.What does the speaker compare himself to in the poem?
Answer: The speaker compares himself to a broken tree, symbolizing the way that time has withered and diminished him.
9.What is the speaker's attitude towards the passage of time in the poem?
Answer: The speaker has a negative attitude towards the passage of time, seeing it as his enemy because it has robbed him of his youth and vitality.
10.What is the overall theme of the poem "The Lamentation of the Old Pensioner"?
Answer: The overall theme of the poem is the regrets and longing for the past that come with the loss of youth and the passage of time.
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