Analysis of The Lamentation Of The Old Pensioner

William Butler Yeats 1865 (Sandymount) – 1939 (Menton)



ALTHOUGH I shelter from the rain
Under a broken tree,
My chair was nearest to the fire
In every company
That talked of love or politics,
Ere Time transfigured me.
Though lads are making pikes again
For some conspiracy,
And crazy rascals rage their fill
At human tyranny,
My contemplations are of Time
That has transfigured me.
There's not a woman turns her face
Upon a broken tree,
And yet the beauties that I loved
Are in my memory;
I spit into the face of Time
That has transfigured me.


Scheme abcbdbebfbgBhbibgB
Poetic Form
Metre 1110101 100101 111101010 0100100 1111110 1111 11110101 110100 01010111 110100 11111 1111 11010101 010101 01010111 101100 11010111 1111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 479
Words 92
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 18
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 389
Words per stanza (avg) 90
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 28, 2023

27 sec read
532

William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. more…

All William Butler Yeats poems | William Butler Yeats Books

8 fans

Discuss this William Butler Yeats poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Lamentation Of The Old Pensioner" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39497/the-lamentation-of-the-old-pensioner>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    20
    hours
    15
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem One Art?
    A E. E. Cummings
    B Elizabeth Bishop
    C Sylvia Plath
    D Elizabeth Barrett Browning