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When You Are Old: Early Poems, Plays, and Fairy Tales
From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by Jessica HischeIt all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an 'A' for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, a 'B' for Charlotte Brönte's Jane Eyre, and a 'C' for Willa Cather's My Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves.Y is for Yeats. A specially compiled edition for the Penguin Drop Caps series, When You Are Old will include the most accessible, best-known poems by W.B. Yeats from his early years that made the Nobel Prize winning writer and poet popular in his day. The volume will include all the major love poems written most notably for the brilliant yet elusive Irish revolutionary Maude Gonne. Recalling Yeats’s 1890s fascination in aestheticism and the arts and crafts movement, selections will draw from the first published versions of poems from works such as Crossways, The Rose, The Wind Among the Reeds, In the Seven Woods, The Green Helmet and Other Poems, Responsibilities, The Wild Swans at Coole, and Michael Robartes and the Dancer. A selection Irish myths and fairytales including “The Wanderings of Oisin,” a Celtic fable and his first major poem, represent his fascination with mysticism, spiritualism and the rich and imaginative heritage of his native land.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2012
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About the author
W.B. Yeats
2,039 books2,570 followersWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and dramatist, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years Yeats served as an Irish Senator for two terms. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and along with Lady Gregory and Edward Martyn founded the Abbey Theatre, serving as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." He was the first Irishman so honored. Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth, and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889, and those slow paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser and Percy Bysshe Shelley, as well as to the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.
--from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 11, 2025
"Although Yeats had listened with fascination as a boy in the western Irish village of Sligo to his mother's stories about ghosts, fairies, his interest in fairy tales was spurred during the late 1880s primarily by his involvement in theosophy and other forms of spiritualism. Yeats was Protestant by birth, but his father, the painter John Butler Yeats, was a Victorian agnostic who instilled in his eldest son a sceptical attitude toward Ireland's two mainstream religions. Yeats did not, however, share his father's commitment to scientific materialism. He believed instead in the theosophist notion that deeper truths, woven throughout all of the world's religions and spiritual traditions, are only accessible when individual thought transcends rationality and merges with the collective mind."
Introduction
Introduction
September 19, 2016
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
God, I love Yeats. I love his poetry. His way with words. His evocative writing style, turning political discussions into fairy tales, and sickenly sweet declarations of love into something unearthly beautiful.
Yeats' poetry is of course worthy of every star I could possibly fill this review with. His poems are old favorites of mine; words that I return to over and over again and find some sort of odd comfort in.
But this was actually the first time I read his prose – and even of his plays. While it certainly was interesting, it also felt a bit repetitive, like less powerful renderings of his beloved poetry.
“A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him up for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.”
Almost all of the included fairy tales share the same structure; Yeats sets up a frame, where he claims a neighbor or friend of his has experienced something supernatural – usually something involving fairies – and then proceeds to tell the story as a real event or a distant memory.
Some research tells me that Yeats did in fact believe in fairies and even were a member of a few occult societies, experimenting with magic. This explains quite a lot; the mythic atmosphere in his poetry and the obsessive exploration of fairies in his prose. Yet it also steals away a bit of the magic; taking the fairy tales out of their magic realm and into Yeats' personal belief system.
I did find it interesting to read Yeats' prose – even though it also confirmed that I mainly admire him for his poetry.
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
God, I love Yeats. I love his poetry. His way with words. His evocative writing style, turning political discussions into fairy tales, and sickenly sweet declarations of love into something unearthly beautiful.
Yeats' poetry is of course worthy of every star I could possibly fill this review with. His poems are old favorites of mine; words that I return to over and over again and find some sort of odd comfort in.
But this was actually the first time I read his prose – and even of his plays. While it certainly was interesting, it also felt a bit repetitive, like less powerful renderings of his beloved poetry.
“A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him up for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.”
Almost all of the included fairy tales share the same structure; Yeats sets up a frame, where he claims a neighbor or friend of his has experienced something supernatural – usually something involving fairies – and then proceeds to tell the story as a real event or a distant memory.
Some research tells me that Yeats did in fact believe in fairies and even were a member of a few occult societies, experimenting with magic. This explains quite a lot; the mythic atmosphere in his poetry and the obsessive exploration of fairies in his prose. Yet it also steals away a bit of the magic; taking the fairy tales out of their magic realm and into Yeats' personal belief system.
I did find it interesting to read Yeats' prose – even though it also confirmed that I mainly admire him for his poetry.
June 15, 2015
I'm slowly working my way through the Penguin Drop Caps series and when it comes to decide which one to read next I felt like reading some poetry and so I did.
I really enjoyed reading the poetry of W. B. Yeats. It's written so wonderfully. I generally, would read a poem and then just sit for a few seconds and let it sink in. I took my time with this book because really you have to.
There is one play in this book and I felt as though while I thought it was interesting, I'm not the biggest fan of reading plays so while it was interesting, it would be better to see being performed.
The fairy tales however, were really good and I loved the way Yeats writes. His writing is really descriptive and I just found it to be really enjoyable to read.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading through When You are Old and this is definitely one of the better Penguin Drop Caps so far.
I really enjoyed reading the poetry of W. B. Yeats. It's written so wonderfully. I generally, would read a poem and then just sit for a few seconds and let it sink in. I took my time with this book because really you have to.
There is one play in this book and I felt as though while I thought it was interesting, I'm not the biggest fan of reading plays so while it was interesting, it would be better to see being performed.
The fairy tales however, were really good and I loved the way Yeats writes. His writing is really descriptive and I just found it to be really enjoyable to read.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading through When You are Old and this is definitely one of the better Penguin Drop Caps so far.
December 26, 2020
I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review. It was quite a bizarre book; a disjointed smorgasbord with moments of brilliance. As this was my first time reading Yeats - and Irish poetry, folklore/mysticism generally - I did not have any presuppositions to begin with. I simply found the faery stories and poems quite endearing and refreshingly whimsical; it made a nice addition to my current literary palate. I was captivated by ‘The Cap and Bells’ poem for some reason; I was compelled to read it aloud as I was with a number of his poems; it was beautifully romantic and tinged with an element of melancholy. Some stories read like ‘old-wives tales’ and are permeated with suspicion and elusiveness; fleeting visits from apparitions who warn of portentous beings that seek to lull children away in the night with their songs, rhymes and incantations.
The book did become a tad prosaic in the final chapters; the last section to hold my attention was Yeates’ fastidious categorisation of the faeries - who knew there were so many variants of leprechaun? *3.5 stars*
The book did become a tad prosaic in the final chapters; the last section to hold my attention was Yeates’ fastidious categorisation of the faeries - who knew there were so many variants of leprechaun? *3.5 stars*
October 12, 2016
"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."
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."
July 26, 2025
3.5*
The poems were more miss than hit for me, but I was blown away by the prose fables and tales.
The poems were more miss than hit for me, but I was blown away by the prose fables and tales.
September 25, 2015
When you are old, By W.B. Yeats
"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."
"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."
April 6, 2014
how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.....
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.....
April 28, 2023
I read this book for MONTHS.
I finally finished it today and I couldn't be happier. I will not waste a lot of time telling you why it got a 2 stars. I did regret reading this very much. Almost everything in this collection is SO boring. Who could ever read this stuff.
Some things I liked though:
The Countess Cathleen - very easy to follow, quite entertaining, interested to see how this would be acted. I watched a dance performance on youtube and it was... good. I'm not a big fan of any kind of dance.
Cradle Song
I thought The Wanderings of Usheen was kind of like Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
I do not want to talk about this any more.
Thanks!
I finally finished it today and I couldn't be happier. I will not waste a lot of time telling you why it got a 2 stars. I did regret reading this very much. Almost everything in this collection is SO boring. Who could ever read this stuff.
Some things I liked though:
The Countess Cathleen - very easy to follow, quite entertaining, interested to see how this would be acted. I watched a dance performance on youtube and it was... good. I'm not a big fan of any kind of dance.
Cradle Song
I thought The Wanderings of Usheen was kind of like Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.
I do not want to talk about this any more.
Thanks!
Read
March 22, 2024This collection is wonserful. The famous poem "When You Are Old" delicately intertwines love, regret, and the passage of time. Through poignant imagery and lyrical language, Yeats invites us to contemplate the enduring power of true love and the inevitable march of aging. Yeats addresses a former lover, painting a vivid picture of her in old age, reminiscing by the fire. Despite its brevity, the poem's universal themes of lost love and longing resonate deeply, making it a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate readers across generations.
May 3, 2018
The poems that are found in this collection are very interesting and I enjoyed them. I had never been a big fan of Yeats but as I read through this collection my interest was ignited to look at his work again. He wrote about so many things that gave me a warm feeling and some even felt, as if he was speaking directly to me. My favorite poem was: A Prayer for my Daughter written June 1919. As I am the mother of daughters, I really understood its meaning. Thank you W.B. Yeats for these early poems and I am grateful to rediscover your work in my adult life. These poems were a perfect way to celebrate the month of April during poetry celebration.
April 1, 2023
I really had to push myself through this. Part of my struggle may have been the way this collection is compiled. The plays, poems, notes, and stories feel very disconnected and rough.
That said, I was thankful for the way the content of these works informed my reading of other Irish literature I was reading this month. It gave me cultural context - especially in regard to faerie lore and belief - that was very enlightening.
That said, I was thankful for the way the content of these works informed my reading of other Irish literature I was reading this month. It gave me cultural context - especially in regard to faerie lore and belief - that was very enlightening.
August 4, 2019
Three stars might be generous as I really didn’t much care for the poetry and the stories were unevenly good. I think it’s safe to say that Yeats is one of my least favorite Irish writers. There is a lot to like in this book, but what isn’t overshadows that. The cover is really pretty though, so, that’s something.
September 15, 2019
Apparently, I am currently on an Ireland kick.
I really, really enjoyed most of the poems included in here and actually liked the fairytales as well (as they were mostly stories about faerie encounters instead of Grimm-style stories which I am not a huge fan of nowadays).
I really, really enjoyed most of the poems included in here and actually liked the fairytales as well (as they were mostly stories about faerie encounters instead of Grimm-style stories which I am not a huge fan of nowadays).
May 20, 2023
Yeats poetry is lovely and lyrical.
Some of the “prose” in this book is less remarkable, and reads like a journal. The fairy tales are unique and lyrical.
The wonders and sadness of a life long lived.
Some of the “prose” in this book is less remarkable, and reads like a journal. The fairy tales are unique and lyrical.
The wonders and sadness of a life long lived.
October 9, 2017
*3.5 Stars*
February 16, 2018
It would seem that Ireland is completely overrun with Fairies, Leprechauns and a wide variety of 'little people' according to the author.
February 24, 2020
Three stars is surprisingly high considering I don’t know how to read poetry. Somehow I connected with a few of the poems, and a few short stories captured my imagination.
April 14, 2020
1.5-2 I just found it dull and a little tough to get through
September 21, 2022
The poetry was nice, but the prose and plays were disjointed.
July 8, 2025
Hit after hit after hit. ‘The Hosting of the Sidhe’ went so hard, I read it to my nan.
January 21, 2018
His poetry is filled with so much imagery and descriptions that it's sickly sweet as if someone melted candy, added a truckload of sugar, and shoved it down my throat. Moderation, yeats, moderation. I quite enjoyed the wandering of Usheen but at times it dragged on. it was an interesting story though, and I enjoyed the depictions of Irish mythological creatures and people. I think I'm the kind of person who prefers poetry that's filled with simpler words? Siegfried Sassoon is still my utter favourite because I can both see the scene playing out (unlike in When You Are Old-- it's basically metaphor land here) AND enjoy the language and feel the despair of world war one. By now, everyone who has talked to me about poetry knows I love Sassoon because I can't stop talking about him the moment someone mentions poetry. See? he's taken up half my review now. I need to stop gushing over him in completely unrelated book reviews.
Anyways, the song of the happy Shepard was also one of my favourites, even more so because it shares a phrase with one of my favourite pieces in my favourite movie soundtrack (here's a link:) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53-Q2...
Casting aside the obvious bias, I quite like the dreamy description of astronomers/astrologers, especially since astrophysics is one of my main interests.
I also really enjoyed The Wandering of Oisín/Usheen. Apparently, he was the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill! (Here's a video about him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVHyX...)
TedEd also has a really nice summary of the legend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFcX...
I personally would not recommend it for young, impatient people like me. When You Grow Old-- more like for when you grow older.
I'll revisit it when I have time to analyse the symbolism. I'm sure I would appreciate Yeats' poetry more if I broke it down but I think the mark of a great poet is when their poetry can be appreciated by both literary lovers and those with no interest in poems.
I feel like I've been rather harsh after rereading this review, but to be fair I've been reading this book for a month now.
Anyways, the song of the happy Shepard was also one of my favourites, even more so because it shares a phrase with one of my favourite pieces in my favourite movie soundtrack (here's a link:) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53-Q2...
Casting aside the obvious bias, I quite like the dreamy description of astronomers/astrologers, especially since astrophysics is one of my main interests.
Then no wise worship dusty deeds,
Nor seek-- for this is also sooth--
To hunger fiercely after truth,
Lest all thy toiling only breeds
New dreams, new dreams; there is no truth,
Saving in thine own heart. Seek, then,
No learning from the starry men,
Who follow with the optic glass
The whirling ways of stars that pass--
I also really enjoyed The Wandering of Oisín/Usheen. Apparently, he was the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill! (Here's a video about him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVHyX...)
TedEd also has a really nice summary of the legend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFcX...
I personally would not recommend it for young, impatient people like me. When You Grow Old-- more like for when you grow older.
I'll revisit it when I have time to analyse the symbolism. I'm sure I would appreciate Yeats' poetry more if I broke it down but I think the mark of a great poet is when their poetry can be appreciated by both literary lovers and those with no interest in poems.
I feel like I've been rather harsh after rereading this review, but to be fair I've been reading this book for a month now.
February 29, 2016
This was one of my least favourites in the drop caps series. There must not have been too many classics to pick from for the letter Y, because this one really doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the series so far. The poems were ok, but generally kinda depressing, and the prose was disjointed, being bits and pieces from several works. My overall impression was of the author mourning something about Ireland from the past, but not being familiar with Irish history myself, it was a bit lost on me. I wouldn't have bought this except that it came with the drop caps series, which have otherwise been pretty good.
December 28, 2021
This book has some absolute gems.
I'm just going to paste one of them here
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.
I'm just going to paste one of them here
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.
January 18, 2016
Loved the poetry, of course. Yeats is my favorite. There was one short play that I liked very much. The fairy tales were a mixed bag. There were a handful that were retellings of stories that Yeat's friends and neighbors claimed to have experienced first hand, and Yeats was careful not to elaborate on them. This is probably due to Yeat's own personal belief in fairies, but it made for dull reading. Perhaps if I myself believed, I would have enjoyed them!
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November 2, 2014Ehh I'm not comfortable rating this book (I'm not enough of a poetry/prose expert hah)
November 16, 2016
I liked the prose, but I really don't care for poetry. It seems like a good book, just not my cup of tea.
January 4, 2017
Too melancholy for me. Poor guy was the Eeyore of his time. I don't mind sadness and even some melancholy in my poetry, but it absolutely permeated everything he wrote.
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April 21, 2021Reading
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews