To Waken An Old Lady Analysis

In his short poem “To Waken an Old Lady,” William Carlos Williams writes about the disturbing subject of old age by representing old age through a series of actions that are typical of birds. Furthermore, the narrator 's use of figurative language and poetic structure contributes to the horrifying idea that death is bound to happen. Essentially, the speaker makes an attempt to show that the difficulties of old age shouldn’t leave a person feeling hopeless for life. The poem begins with the metaphor “old age is/ a flight of small/ cheeping birds” which puts forth the idea that old age can be illustrated through birds (lines 1-3). The narrator’s use of old age resembles the qualities and characteristics of an old person. Old people are often thought to be gracious and sweet towards others. They are essentially vulnerable to the other age groups because they are physically and mentally weaker. For these reasons, society reveals that old people give off good feelings since they mean no harm to anyone else. In like manner, …show more content…
Ultimately, all human beings oppose to the undesirable idea of death. Nevertheless, nature has established that all forms of life have a timespan in which they exist. The speaker of the poem acknowledges the possibility for death and the obstacles that lay ahead. The “broken / seedhusks” demonstrate a phase during one 's life in which old age leads to the decay of one’s body (line 14-15). This representation of the decaying body creates a discouraging impression for old age. Yet, the speaker goes on to reveal that old people do not give in easily. The speaker states “the wind tempered / by a shrill / piping of plenty” referring to the old people’s perseverance as they are faced with harsh circumstances (line 16-18). Although old age can lead to awful and frightening health conditions, one must have the willpower in order to go on in