When Age Comes On
The poem explores the theme of aging and its effects on one's life. It describes how age brings a decline in physical strength and vitality, but also a growth in wisdom and experience. The speaker reflects on their own life, acknowledging the passing of time and the loss of youthful energy, but finding solace in the memories and lessons learned along the way.
By James Whitcomb Riley · First published 1883 · Genre: Poetry, Lyrical, Reflective · 197 words
First lines
When Age comes on! -- "The deepening dusk is where the dawn Once glittered splendid, and the dew In honey-drips, from red rose-lips Was kissed away by me and you. -- And now across the frosty lawn Black foot-prints trail, and Age comes on -- And Age comes on!
And biting wild-winds whistle through Our tattered hopes -- and Age comes on!
When Age comes on! -- O tide of raptures, long withdrawn, Flow back in summer-floods, and fling Here at our feet our childhood sweet, And all the songs we used to sing! . . .
Old loves, old friends -- all dead and gone -- Our old faith lost -- and Age comes on -- And Age comes on!
What this Textopian page supports
When Age Comes On is listed on Textopian as a poem by James Whitcomb Riley, dated 1883 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: James Whitcomb Riley
- Date: 1883 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Lyrical, Reflective, Nostalgic, Melancholic
- Length: 197 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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Similar titles
- Greeting by John Greenleaf Whittier
- In The Home Stretch by Robert Frost
- My November Guest by Robert Frost
- When The Year Grows Old by Edna St Vincent Millay
- This Was In The White Of The Year by Emily Dickinson
- A Throe Upon The Features by Emily Dickinson
Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter, characteristic of poetry.
- Lyrical — The text expresses personal emotions and reflections, typical of lyrical poetry.
- Reflective — The themes focus on introspection and contemplation of aging and the passage of time.
- Nostalgic — The work evokes a longing for the past, reminiscing about youth and lost experiences.
Tags
Poetry · American Literature · 19th Century · Nature · Aging · Mortality · Reflection · Philosophy · Existentialism · Life Cycle · Seasonal Change · Autumn