Housman's “When I Was One-and-Twenty” takes the form of
a cautionary fable
, the unnamed speaker relating what happened when the speaker failed to take the advice of a “wise man.” The opening two lines establish the speaker's age at the time—21—and contrast the speaker with the figure of the wise man.
What kind of poem is when I was one twenty?
Summary of When I Was One-and-Twenty
It is
a lyrical poem
famous on account of its themes of regret and wisdom. It was first published in 1896 in A Shropshire Lad.
What is the poetic form of when I was one-and-twenty?
‘When I Was One-and-Twenty' by A. E. Housman is a
short two stanza poem
. Each stanza is made up of eight lines, known as octets. The first octet follows a rhyme scheme of ABCBCDAD, with a couple examples of half-rhyme, and the second stanza follows the pattern ABCBADAD.
What rhyme scheme is used in when I was one-and-twenty?
The poem consists of two stanzas of eight lines each. All of the even-numbered lines contain end rhymes, such as “say” and “away,” while none of the odd-numbered lines rhyme, for a rhyme scheme of
abcb
.
What is the theme of when I was one-and-twenty?
The overriding theme of the poem is that one
should always heed the wisdom of experience
. In this particular case, the wise man gives the youngster some useful advice: never give your heart away; it will cost too much in terms of emotional pain, and will lead inevitably to enormous sorrow.
What is the moral lesson of when I was one and twenty?
Love and Pain
“When I Was One-and-Twenty” has one clear message about love:
that it inevitably leads to suffering
. A wise man, presumably speaking from experience, tries to warn the young speaker not to fall in love—because giving “the heart” away is “paid with sighs a plenty” and “endless rue” (that is, misery).
What is the setting of when I was one and twenty?
By A.E. Housman
Sure, if we believe the title of the poetry collection from which this little gem was pulled, our speaker is a “Shropshire lad.” (Quick translation: Shropshire is a
rural area in southern England
. … Given that hint, we'd be inclined to say that our speaker is from Shropshire.
What stanza structure is used in when I was one and twenty?
By A.E. Housman
Divided into
two eight-line stanzas
, this poem follows traditional ballad rhyme schemes: the stanzas each break neatly in half, with the second and fourth lines of each group rhyming.
At first glance, it can be a major surprise that the author of the enormously popular poetry collection A Shropshire Lad was a classical scholar by the name of
A.E. Housman
.
Why does the poet says tis true Tis true?
Question: Why does the speaker in the poem “When I was one-and-twenty” say, “'tis true, 'tis true”? Answer:
Because he has discovered that what the wise man said was true.
What does was never given in vain mean?
phrase. If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort was in vain, you mean that
it was useless because it did not achieve anything
. He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain. See full dictionary entry for vain.
What is the theme of the poem Loveliest of trees?
‘Loveliest of Trees' is one of several popular poems that A.E. Housman published in his volume A Shropshire Lad. It was published, with his own funds, in 1896. The poem explores the
themes of life and death, as well as the progression of time and the temporary nature of pleasure and beauty
.
What situation is encountered by the persona as revealed by the poem when I was one and twenty?
The persona
asserts how his heart got broken the previous year when he was one and twenty years for not having listened to the advice of a senior person
. The person had advised him not to give his heart away in love.
What does it mean to take something in vain?
: to use (a name)
profanely or without proper respect Numbers
of clergymen have from time to time reproached me for making jokes about religion; and they have almost always invoked the authority of that very sensible commandment which says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”—
Is it in vein or in vain?
“A vein” is a blood vessel or a distinctive style. “
Vain” means
“self admiring” or “futile.” (The term “in vain” (as in “to try in vain”) means “without success”). “A vane” is a stabilizing fin or blade.
What does I'm so vain mean?
1 :
having or showing undue or excessive pride
in one's appearance or achievements : conceited. 2 : marked by futility or ineffectualness : unsuccessful, useless vain efforts to escape.
