When You Are Old Tone

In the poem “When You Are Old,” by W.B. Yeats, the speaker is addressing a bygone lover of his. Through the poem the speaker is both loving and haughty towards the woman. The speaker appears to be very fond of the woman, but he is also somewhat vain and self absorbed. He speaks to her with love and sincerity at some points in the poem; then he also addresses her in a tone that is far from love and is bordering on haughty disposition. The diction and imagery play vital roles in creating the tone and emotion between the speaker and the woman. In the poem “When You Are Old,” by W.B. Yeats, the speaker’s use of imagery, diction, and tone allow the reader to see into the woman and the speaker’s relationship.
In the poem the speaker’s relationship with the woman has two sides. One emotion that the speaker reveals is that of undying love. He speaks of a time when the woman is “old and grew” (Line 1) and how his love will still be felt in the book she will read. The diction and imagery in the poem reveal much of how the speaker views the woman and his feelings for her. Using imagery like “shadows deep” (Line 4) the speaker expresses his admiration for her beauty. The speaker also uses diction such as “pilgrim soul” (Line 7) to describe the woman’s inner beauty that he also admired so much. The tone in these sections of the poem reflects the
Yeats, the speaker’s use of imagery, diction, and tone allow the reader to see into the woman and the speaker’s relationship. The speaker’s use of diction and imagery in the poem is essential to the creation of the tone, which in turn allows the reader to truly see the way he views the woman and the way he views himself. The relationship can be seen as a one-sided affair. The speaker believes that he deserves the beauty of the woman because he sees himself as amazing and wants her to believe that she isn’t very special because she will soon be old and unattractive to any but the