Which of these poets wrote a poem that served to inspire W.B. Yeats to write his own poem, “When You Are Old”?

Correct option is B

Explanation:

W.B. Yeats's “When You Are Old” was inspired by Pierre de Ronsard’s “Quand Vous Serez Bien Vieille” (When You Are Very Old).

Ronsard, a prominent French Renaissance poet, often explored themes of love, transience, and the passage of time in his poetry.

His poem reflects on the beauty of youth and the inevitability of aging, a theme echoed in Yeats’s poem.

Yeats's work expresses deep nostalgia and unrequited love for Maud Gonne.

Information Booster:

“When You Are Old” is often regarded as one of Yeats's most poignant love poems.

It reflects Yeats's fascination with the Irish literary tradition and his admiration for classical European influences like Ronsard.

​This poem reveals several themes, such as the reality of passing time, the brevity of life, and the importance of love.

The most important theme of‘When You Are Old’is the passing of time. This theme of transience forms the basis of this poem.

Here, the poet highlights the fact that one’s youthful hours fade away with time.​

Additional knowledge:

Pierre de Ronsard:
Known as the “Prince of Poets” in France.
A key figure of the Pléiade group of poets, advocating for the enrichment of the French language through poets.

François Villon:
A medieval French poet with a focus on themes of hardship and morality, but unrelated to Yeats's poem.

Edmund Spenser:
An Elizabethan English poet known for works like The Faerie Queene.

Heinrich Heine:
A 19th-century German poet known for his lyrical and satirical poetry, but his work did not influence Yeats's “When You Are Old.”