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Florazheng1015 Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary
Help pls!
of their shadows deep.
Q1: What ‘shadows’ does it refer here” ?
--------`
paced upon the mountains overhead
Q2: What is the meaning of ‘overhead’ here?
Q3: Who paced upon the mountains? ‘ you’ or he’?
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And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
Q4: Who is he here? Her lover? How to understand above sentence? or What's the meaning of above sentence. Please kindly share your intrepretation with me.
TKS!
When You Are Old ~ W. B. Yeats ~
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look .
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur,
a little sadly,
how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
Q1: What ‘shadows’ does it refer here” ?
--------`
paced upon the mountains overhead
Q2: What is the meaning of ‘overhead’ here?
Q3: Who paced upon the mountains? ‘ you’ or he’?
------------------------
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
Q4: Who is he here? Her lover? How to understand above sentence? or What's the meaning of above sentence. Please kindly share your intrepretation with me.
TKS!
When You Are Old ~ W. B. Yeats ~
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look .
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur,
a little sadly,
how Love fled And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.
Top answer
This I believe was addressed to Lady Gregory, whom Yeats was in love with. Q1: 'shadows deep' probably relates to Lady Gregory's serious concern about and work towards the 'Irish Revival', although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes. Q2: 'Overhead' I think just highlights the 'higher' poetry that Yeats' love for Lady G.
- This I believe was addressed to Lady Gregory, whom Yeats was in love with.
- Q1: 'shadows deep' probably relates to Lady Gregory's serious concern about and work towards the 'Irish Revival', although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes.
- Q2: 'Overhead' I think just highlights the 'higher' poetry that Yeats' love for Lady G.
- was transformed into; alternatively, his love paced and waited among Lady G's intellectual heights.
- Q3: 'Love paced upon the mountains'- that is what the poet says the lady should murmur.
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20 Answers
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This I believe was addressed to Lady Gregory, whom Yeats was in love with.
Q1: 'shadows deep' probably relates to Lady Gregory's serious concern about and work towards the 'Irish Revival', although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes.
Q2: 'Overhead' I think just highlights the 'higher' poetry that Yeats' love for Lady G. was transformed into; alternatively,
Q1: 'shadows deep' probably relates to Lady Gregory's serious concern about and work towards the 'Irish Revival', although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes.
Q2: 'Overhead' I think just highlights the 'higher' poetry that Yeats' love for Lady G. was transformed into; alternatively,
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Hi Mr. Micawber,
Thanks a lot. But I am still in the dark..
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[although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes.]
Why does “ shadow” mean the attractiveness of her eyes.
I looked up my dictionary and found an example sentence as following.
Eg. Have shawdows around the eyes. (due to sleepless)
2
['Overhead' I think just highlights the
Thanks a lot. But I am still in the dark..
1
[although it could just refer to the attractiveness of her eyes.]
Why does “ shadow” mean the attractiveness of her eyes.
I looked up my dictionary and found an example sentence as following.
Eg. Have shawdows around the eyes. (due to sleepless)
2
['Overhead' I think just highlights the
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Hi, Flora!
Just a guess for 1...
Shadows are dark; darkness is bottomless; her eyes are bottomless, he could drown himself in them!
Just a guess for 1...
Shadows are dark; darkness is bottomless; her eyes are bottomless, he could drown himself in them!
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Pieanne, thanks for your response. Your intrepretation of this sounds good. Hmmm...
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Anyway, thank you for your help, Mr. Micawber. 
P.S. I read the story about Yeats and the lady before. Er, it was a kind of one-
P.S. I read the story about Yeats and the lady before. Er, it was a kind of one-
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Hi, Flora...
For your 2nd question...
I agree with MrM. The poet has already compared his love to a pilgrim: this implies sanctity, but also a pilgrim doesn't stay, s/he moves from place to place (it was a kind of one side love). I guess that's why the author uses the verb "pace" (=walk, move); as to te mountains overhead, well the higher you go, the purer the air, we are back to
For your 2nd question...
I agree with MrM. The poet has already compared his love to a pilgrim: this implies sanctity, but also a pilgrim doesn't stay, s/he moves from place to place (it was a kind of one side love). I guess that's why the author uses the verb "pace" (=walk, move); as to te mountains overhead, well the higher you go, the purer the air, we are back to
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Hi, Flora,
I think your Q4 remained unanswered, so I'll venture to make a suggestions:
I think the HE (his face) here is Love personified. That is why Love is with a capital "L".
Here I've edited my post. Sorry, I didn't read the poem carefully.
I think your Q4 remained unanswered, so I'll venture to make a suggestions:
I think the HE (his face) here is Love personified. That is why Love is with a capital "L".
Here I've edited my post. Sorry, I didn't read the poem carefully.
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This is a bit of a wild guess but the emotion expressed in the last lines might refer to the love lost and fugitive. The "mountains overhead" might be a poetic reference to clouds. And the love is expressed as nervously pacing through the clouds and hiding amongst the stars.
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