Question
When I Have Passed Away
by Claude McKay
When I have passed away and am forgotten,
And no one living can recall my face,
When under alien sod my bones lie rotten
With not a tree or stone to mark the place;
Perchance a pensive youth, with passion burning,
For olden verse that smacks of love and wine,
The musty pages of old volumes turning,
May light upon a little song of mine,
And he may softly hum the tune and wonder
Who wrote the verses in the long ago;
Or he may sit him down awhile to ponder
Upon the simple words that touch him so.
“When I Have Passed Away” by Claude McKay
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" by W. B. Yeats
by Claude McKay
When I have passed away and am forgotten,
And no one living can recall my face,
When under alien sod my bones lie rotten
With not a tree or stone to mark the place;
Perchance a pensive youth, with passion burning,
For olden verse that smacks of love and wine,
The musty pages of old volumes turning,
May light upon a little song of mine,
And he may softly hum the tune and wonder
Who wrote the verses in the long ago;
Or he may sit him down awhile to ponder
Upon the simple words that touch him so.
“When I Have Passed Away” by Claude McKay
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" by W. B. Yeats
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Both poems, "When I Have Passed Away" by Claude McKay and "When You Are Old" by W. B. Yeats, explore themes of memory, love, and the passage of time, though they approach these themes from different perspectives.
In McKay's poem, the speaker contemplates their own mortality and the possibility of being forgotten after passing away. There is a sense of melancholy as the speaker recognizes that their physical presence will fade, leaving behind only their words. The hope rests in the idea that a future reader—perhaps a youthful admirer—might discover and connect with their poetry, thus allowing a part of the speaker’s spirit to live on through their art. The imagery of “alien sod” and the absence of any grave marker emphasizes the finality of death, yet the poem ultimately expresses a desire for resonance beyond the grave, highlighting the enduring power of art and expression.
On the other hand, Yeats’ poem addresses a loved one, urging them to reflect on their life in their old age. With an intimate tone, it invites the addressee to reminisce about past beauty and the nature of love. Yeats contrasts transient admiration with a deeper, more profound connection—the love for the "pilgrim soul," which acknowledges the complexities and transformations of a person over time. The final lines evoke a bittersweet sense of loss, as love is portrayed as elusive yet transcendent, existing amid the vastness of the cosmos.
While both poems deal with themes of love and legacy, McKay focuses more on the potential for memory to be rekindled through poetry after death, whereas Yeats reflects on the enduring nature of love itself, urging cherished reflection as one faces the inevitable changes brought by age. Both convey a poignant awareness of time's passage and the fleeting nature of human experiences, showing how love and memory connect us beyond our mortal existence.
In McKay's poem, the speaker contemplates their own mortality and the possibility of being forgotten after passing away. There is a sense of melancholy as the speaker recognizes that their physical presence will fade, leaving behind only their words. The hope rests in the idea that a future reader—perhaps a youthful admirer—might discover and connect with their poetry, thus allowing a part of the speaker’s spirit to live on through their art. The imagery of “alien sod” and the absence of any grave marker emphasizes the finality of death, yet the poem ultimately expresses a desire for resonance beyond the grave, highlighting the enduring power of art and expression.
On the other hand, Yeats’ poem addresses a loved one, urging them to reflect on their life in their old age. With an intimate tone, it invites the addressee to reminisce about past beauty and the nature of love. Yeats contrasts transient admiration with a deeper, more profound connection—the love for the "pilgrim soul," which acknowledges the complexities and transformations of a person over time. The final lines evoke a bittersweet sense of loss, as love is portrayed as elusive yet transcendent, existing amid the vastness of the cosmos.
While both poems deal with themes of love and legacy, McKay focuses more on the potential for memory to be rekindled through poetry after death, whereas Yeats reflects on the enduring nature of love itself, urging cherished reflection as one faces the inevitable changes brought by age. Both convey a poignant awareness of time's passage and the fleeting nature of human experiences, showing how love and memory connect us beyond our mortal existence.