When You Are Old
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.
Quick facts about “When You Are Old”
- Author
- W. B. Yeats
- First line
- When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
- Length
- 12 lines in 3 stanzas
- Time to learn
- about 6 minutes
Questions about “When You Are Old”
Who wrote “When You Are Old”?
“When You Are Old” was written by W. B. Yeats.
What is the first line of “When You Are Old”?
The first line of “When You Are Old” is: “When you are old and grey and full of sleep,”
How long is “When You Are Old”?
“When You Are Old” is 12 lines long, in 3 stanzas.
How long does it take to memorize “When You Are Old”?
Plan on about 6 minutes in the Memorizun trainer, which hides words and letters step by step so you recall the text instead of rereading it. A few short sessions on separate days help it stick.
What is the best way to memorize “When You Are Old”?
Read it aloud once or twice, then use the trainer to hide more of the text each round until you can say it without looking. Learn it stanza by stanza, then join the stanzas together. Review it again the next day.
