8220;pilgrim soul” must be set free to wander in life. Yeats knew this and ended the relationship because she wasn’t totally happy. The imagery in this poem sets the scene and the mood. A strong image is in the first line. Yeats uses great adjectives like “old”, “gray”, and “full of sleep" to depict Maud as an old, tired woman. This is very important because it sets the scene and tone. The imagery in the second line adds to this. “Nodding by the fire” also gives us a concrete picture. These two lines really illustrate a scene of an old woman reading a book by the firelight. The theme of this poem is one of unrequited love. Yeats is acknowledging his unconditional wonder and admiration for Maud Gonne. He loved her very much but that same passion and love was not returned. This is a very common theme in poetry but Yeats demonstrates it very well because he uses a real life situation. His feelings and emotions are real because he experienced them first hand.I can relate to this poem because I have been in a similar situation. I had a girlfriend last year, who was very caring and compassionate. She was amazing but extremely attached. I was in the same situation as Maud Gonne. I needed my space for my “pilgrim” soul was uneasy. I am young and I need to experience new things and people, just like Maud. As I look back now I realize that my girlfriend was very generous and treated me with care. Those traits are hard to find in someone and I feel lucky to have experienced that. ...
