"When I was one-and-twenty..." by A. E. Housman
-posting by Cristina V.-
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
'Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free.'
But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
'The heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue.'
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true
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this poem is my favorite. i feel like it captures the feeling of an identity poem perfectly. the poem says that its ok to give away materialistic things but you never give your heart/fancy free which i believe is the identity in this case. i would really like to know what one and twenty/ two and twenty are though, that may give a deeper meaning to the poem possibly
ReplyDeleteI didnt really like this poem very much. Maybe it went over my head or something but i thought it was about staying true to yourself (which, dont get me wrong, is a very good theme) but i guess i didnt like the word choice or the rhyming. Maybe im just a bully. Hah.
ReplyDelete"But I was one-and-twenty,
No use to talk to me. "
WHy would he say that? Dont talk to him because he's young?
so he gets older and the old man's words make more sense..? I guess.
Well I do like this poem because other than the message behind it, it was short and it had good rhythm and rhyme :) I found that, like Chevar was saying, you can give away anything like your prized possessions but you should never give away your "heart" or who you are. At first I didn't understand what he meant when at first he said "But I was one-and-twenty, No use to talk to me"but when he mentioned it the second time, where he switched the one with a two, I guess he is older and wiser and now finds what the old man was saying to be true... Sometimes when were young and someone tells us something we don't really mind its like when your mother tells you not to climb that tree and you don't listen to her, you soon find out that she was right after you ended up with a cast on your arm... (true story...shhh)
ReplyDeleteAs Chevar previously stated above, I think that this poem is about materialism vs. self. What can one give away and still keep the essence of himself or herself.
ReplyDeleteI really like this poem because it has a nice rhyme scheme and laid back, easy rhythm to it. It is more of like a story and i can literally picture the old man saying these words and hear him warn the other man to be careful and protect his true identity, never give himself away and it is definitely identity
ReplyDeletewhat I truly like about this poem is how realistic it truly is. I feel that we have all been told this very same message but I don't know anybody who followed the advise until they learn the lesson by themselves. Furthermore, I think because it sounds so realistic its emotional effects are a lot stronger making this poem that much better
ReplyDeletelike i said in another comment the identity and understanding and outlook on life is fluid. its constantly changing in response to experiences and life in general. so for this instance her concept changed to accept the older gentleman's view only after she experienced it herself
ReplyDelete