In the Old Age of the Soul
I do not choose to dream; there cometh on meSome strange old lust for deeds.As to the nerveless hand of some old warriorThe sword-hilt or the war-worn wonted helmetBrings momentary life and long-fled cunning,So to my soul grown old--Grown old with many a jousting, many a foray,Grown old with many a hither-coming and hence-going--Till now they send him dreams and no more deed;So doth he flame again with might for action,Forgetful of the council of the elders,Forgetful that who rules doth no more battle,Forgetful that such might no more cleaves to himSo doth he flame again toward valiant doing.
Words in this poem
- lust v. i.
- To list; to like. [AS. lystan. See Lust, n., and cf. List to choose.]
- nerveless a.
- Destitute of nerves.
- wonted a.
- Accustomed; customary; usual.
- forgetful a.
- Apt to forget; easily losing remembrance; as, a forgetful man should use helps to strengthen his memory.
- valiant a.
- Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, ]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
In the Old Age of the Soul is in the public domain. This text is taken from Personae, Project Gutenberg ebook #41162; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Ezra Pound, In the Old Age of the Soul, in Personae (1909), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #41162, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/pound-personae/in-the-old-age-of-the-soul.html, id L01219.
Form and metre
In the Old Age of the Soul is 14 lines in a single verse paragraph. It is unrhymed, as far as the pronouncing dictionary can tell. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 81%). 97% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.3 syllables. 7 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 29% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter, other poems in blank verse.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| I do not choose to dream; there cometh on me | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| Some strange old lust for deeds. | 6 | ······ |
| As to the nerveless hand of some old warrior | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| The sword-hilt or the war-worn wonted helmet | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Brings momentary life and long-fled cunning, | 11 | ·/˘·˘····/˘ |
| So to my soul grown old-- | 6 | ······ |
| Grown old with many a jousting, many a foray, | 11 | ···/·/˘/·/˘ |
| Grown old with many a hither-coming and hence-going-- | 12 | ···/·/˘/˘··/ |
| Till now they send him dreams and no more deed; | 10 | ·········· |
| So doth he flame again with might for action, | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| Forgetful of the council of the elders, | 11 | ˘/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| Forgetful that who rules doth no more battle, | 11 | ˘/˘······/˘ |
| Forgetful that such might no more cleaves to him | 11 | ˘/˘········ |
| So doth he flame again toward valiant doing. | 11 | ····˘/··/˘/ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.