The poem
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.
This is one of my favorite poems of all time. It adresses such a profound part of life in a direct and simple way. The subject in this poem is learning about something you can only fully understand via experience.
I think everyone can relate to this poem, and through its simple beauty, be moved in a way that is universal to anyone at that infamous age.
When a young adult claims he or she is deeply in love, most people think of it as “puppy love”, or they think that this person is not truly committed to being in love. This is sometimes a misconception, but most of the time when young adults claim they’re in “love”, they are actually not. The speaker in this poem, “When I was One-and-Twenty” by A.E. Housman, is a twenty-one year old that was blind to the fact that he or she was not ready for a true, loving relationship.
this poem was okay.
I was wondering if there was a clear rhyme sceme for this poem. I scanned it and cant tell if there are half/slant rhymes or not. Also the meter for the poem seems to be alternating iambic trimeter but the other lines are 7 syllables.....any help? e-mail me if you can explain. thanks
the poem is really nice as I read it.It gives me so much reflection not just for my self but also for others.who have encounter like this one!!!!!