Lee Giru

To Age

 

Welcome, old friend! These many years

Have we lived door by door;

The Fates have laid aside their shears

Perhaps for some few more.

 

I was indocile at an age

When better boys were taught,

But though at length hast made me sage,

If I am sage in aught.

 

Little I know from other men,

Too little they from me,

But thou hast pointed well the pen

That writes these lines to thee.

 

Thanks for expelling Fear and Hope,

One vile, the other vain;

One’s scourge, the other’s telescope,

I shall not see again.

 

Rather what lies before my feet

My notice shall engage-

He who hast braved Youth’s dizzy heat

Dreads not the frost of Age.

-Walter Savage Landor

 

1.      The poem above shows how a man becomes wise and sophisticated as he becomes older. At young, we do not know much about the world, though we believe that we do, and we have much fear and hope, which make us collapse and fail from time to time. We care much about others, too; we tend to define ourselves by our relationships with others. Yet, as we become older, we learn to see ourselves more clearly and to no longer have much fear and hope. Though this growth is somewhat sad and discouraging, it is part of our lives, and the sage we learn through our aging is very precious. I like this poem because it shows such insight very clearly and gently.

2.      3 points

a. TOTAL MEANING of a poem is that which it communicates, and PROSE MEANING is the ingredients which can be separated out in the form of a prose paraphrase. The prose meaning is no more the poem than a plum is a pie.

b. Poetry cannot be read as one would skim a newspaper or a mystery novel, looking merely for facts.

c. Accurate determination of tome is extremely important in the reading of poetry.

3.      I don’t have any anecdote, but this poem reminds me of Mr. Williams. Mr. Williams has amazing insight on the world and has very relaxed attitude on life. At the beginning, I could not understand how he is not afraid of any upcoming events or opaque future. Yet, as I talked more with him, I came to admire his wisdom and optimistic lifestyle that comes from the many years he had lived. Though I do not have the same values he has, I hope to be more optimistic and insightful when I grow old.