Parent Guide > When You Are Old

This week in class, we’re reading "When You Are Old" by William Butler Yeats.

In William Butler Yeat's "When You Are Old," a speaker asks someone to reflect on their life and on lost love in their old age.

As we read, we will be discussing the themes of Growing Up, Loneliness & Isolation, and Love as they relate to the text. We are trying to answer these big questions :

"How are we changed by love?", "Why should we value our youth?", and "What does it mean to feel alone?"

Ways to support your child:

• Ask your child about this poem at home:
  • What was "When You Are Old" about?
  • What did you learn about Growing Up?
  • What did you learn about Loneliness & Isolation?
  • What did you learn about Love?
• Watch the following clips with your child at home:
  • 'The Passion of Yeats '
  • '"When You Are Old" - Irish Locals Recite W.B. Yeats '
  • 'Translating Ronsard'