"Let the cause thy attention engage; 1 3 Reply. You Are Old, Father William by Lewis Carroll. You are hale, father William, a hearty old man; Now tell me the reason, I pray.’ ‘In the days of my youth,’ father William replied, ‘I remember’d that youth would fly fast, And Abus’d not my health and my vigour at first, That I never might need them at last.’ ‘You are old, father William,’ the young man cried, The most famous stanzas of this poem are: "'You are old, Father William,' the young man said, 'And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- Do you think, at your age, it is right?' Carroll's "You are Old, Father William" is a parody of a well-known Victorian children's poem, "The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them" by Robert Southey, first published in 1799. The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them (Robert Southey) “You are old, father William,” the young man cried, “The few locks which are left you are grey; You are hale, father William, a hearty old man; Now tell me the reason, I pray.” “In the days of my youth,” father William replied, “I remember’d that youth would fly fast, Ralph Steadman described the pair in the poem this way: "THE FATHER WILLIAM set to me is the arrogance of youth versus the certainty of an old man's memories. Alice, in her disoriented state, proceeds to mix up the poem. The Augustan Poets -The Rape of the Lock (1-26 lines), My Dreams, My Works, Must Wait Till After Hell by Gwendolyn Brooks, Goe and Catch a Falling Star - John Donne, Hills like White Elephants – Ernest Hemmingway, Professional Mourners - Alagu Subramaniam, You are old father William – Lewis Carroll, She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways - William Wordsworth, Grade 6 - English Language (London Syllabus). (textbooksrus.com). "I am cheerful, young man," father William replied, Carroll’s parody is often used by critics as proof of the social commentary embedded in Alice, the parody itself showing Dodgson’s disapproval of traditional teaching methods. Essay - The image of Sri Lankan woman getting under assessed on account of unnecessary media propaganda. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. "And pleasures with youth pass away. The poem the Caterpillar is referring to, “The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them” (which begins with the line “You are old, Father William, the young man cried,”), is a didactic poem which preaches the benefits of a pious an… Verse 1 "In my youth," Father William replied to his son, I feared it might injure the brain; Interestingly, in Carroll’s original Alice, Father William asks for 5 shillings instead of 1. Your favorite daughter has wheels in her head and the chickens are pecking your knees. You Are Old, Father William Analysis Lewis Carroll Characters archetypes. For further assistance, contact webmaster@carleton.edu. Carroll's "You are Old, Father William" is a parody of a well-known Victorian children's poem, "The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them" by Robert Southey, first published in 1799. Wellesley "I rememberd that youth could not last; Robert Southey, 1799, "You are old, father William," the young man cried, Poetry Time 1: "You Are Old, Father William" by Lewis Carroll. He thinks Father William is going to hurt himself. The poem ‘You are old father William’ appears in Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s adventures in Wonderland. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. Children learned poems such as Southey’s by rote and often were required to recite them for adults at evening parties. Students progress at their own pace and you see a leaderboard and live results. Now tell me the reason, I pray." Discover the . Add your answer and earn points. "In the days of my youth," father William replied, The young man reinforces his arrogance by using the old man's experience as a crutch. Sparknotes bookrags the meaning summary overview critique of explanation pinkmonkey. You are old, father William, the young man cried The few locks that are left you are grey, You are hale, Father William, a hearty old man, Now tell me the reason I pray. And yet you incessantly stand on your head-- This is just one of the many famous didactic poems that Carroll parodies in Alice. More information and images can be found on our website:http://talesofcuriosity.com/v/You_Are_Old_Father_William/Beneath are all the words … What are the other three things that amaze the young man (from chapter you are old father William ) 1 ... DograSaab9835 is waiting for your help. It is also one of the only versions that leaves the poem in. Do you think, at your age, it is right?". In this version, Harry Harris' 1985 musical, the Caterpillar sings "You are Old, Father William" with Alice, and both are transformed into the old man and young man, respectively. ", Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Chapter 5 Click here to see Southey’s and Carroll’s poems side by side. That I never might grieve for the past. "And your hair has become very white: Carleton College, class of 2011 Quick fast explanatory summary. "In the days of my youth," father William replied, "You are old Father William," the young man said, And your hair has become very white; And yet, you incessantly stand on your head- Do you think, at your age, it is right? Ointment: Although many important medical breakthroughs were achieved during the 19th century, home remedies and cure-all elixirs were still very popular. It is recited by Alice in Chapter 5, "Advice from a Caterpillar" (Chapter 3 in the original manuscript). Parody in You Are Old Father William: This part of the poem explanation focuses on how ‘You Are Old, Father William’ is a parody of ‘The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them’ by the Romantic poet Robert Southey. Father William He doesn't think Father William should be allowed to have fun. Sparknotes bookrags the meaning summary overview critique of explanation pinkmonkey. The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them In chapter five of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice laments to the Caterpillar that she is having trouble remembering things. "You Are Old, Father William" is a poem by Lewis Carroll that appears in his 1865 book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Most of children’s literature in Carroll’s day was extremely didactic in nature. by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) "YOU are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head-Do you think, at your age, it is right?" The poem of which this is a parody is 'The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them' by Robert Southey. In the days of my youth I remember'd my God! You are hale, father William, a hearty old man; I am chearful, young man, Father William replied, Let the cause thy attention engage; In the days of my youth I remember'd my God! Plain Text, HyperText, Alice's Adventures Underground: Chapter 3 Qu’en pensez-vous ? Whilst throwing past standards out of the window the young man may often come back in through the door if he finds his yardstick less than three feet. Note the eel traps in the background of Tenniel’s drawing. This is recited by Alice in chapter V. The poem is a parody in which the writer humorously describes the generation gap between a veteran/ an experienced person … "You are old, Father William," the young man said, "And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head— Do you think, at your age age, it is right?" Eel: The European Eel has been an important source of food in the UK since the middle ages. "You are old, father William," the young man said, Here Carroll parodies the many (mostly useless) lotions and ointments peddled all over the world. Shilling: A unit of currency in the United Kingdom. ", "You are old, father William," the young man cried, Le ciel est par-dessus le toit - Paul Verlaine, La mort et le bucheron Jean de la Fontaine, La Grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse que le Boeuf. This is an analysis of the poem The Old Man's Comforts And How He Gained Them that begins with: You are old, Father William, the young man cried, The few locks which are left you are grey;... full text. An old man can become intense talking about right and wrong, and a youth can become bored as a result. Site created and maintained by Lauren Millikan (Lauren.Millikan@alumni.carleton.edu) Le clonage un bien ou un mal ? The son asks the father many questions about his odd behaviour in his old age. You are old, Father William, the young man cried, And life must be hastening away; You are chearful, and love to converse upon death! In Carroll’s day there were 20 shillings in a Pound and 12 pence in a shilling (Wikipedia). Others praise this work as early evidence of Carroll’s superb grasp of the elements of nonsense literature, seeing “Father William” as a precursor to other famous nonsense poems like “Jabberwocky.” The text of the original is printed below. The Caterpillar asks her to repeat "You Are Old, Father William", and she recites. You Are Old, Father William is a poem by Lewis Carroll that appears in his book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). This funny poem, a parody of “The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them” (1799) by famous English poet Robert Southey, tells the modern reader that older people, like the mischievous Father William, may have aged, but they can still have a sharp, optimistic, and witty attitude - or they may develop it precisely as they age. Elements of the verse: questions and answers. And abus'd not my health and my vigour at first, Individual page maintainers assume responsibility and liability for the content of their documents. It is … "I remember'd that youth would fly fast, Click here to compare John Tenniel’s “Father William” with Lewis Carroll’s sketch and note how closely Tenniel’s follow Carroll’s. "In my youth," Father William replied to his son, "I feared it might injure the brain; But, now that I'm perfectly sure I have none, Why, I do it again and again." You Are Old Father William Analysis Lewis Carroll Characters archetypes. Please address all comments and other feedback to the owner of the pages, Lauren Millikan, Lauren.Millikan@alumni.carleton.edu. Write a summary on you are old,father William by lewis carroll 2 See answers Arungujjar Arungujjar The poem is a parody in which the writer humorously describes the generation gap between a veteran/ an experienced person and his supercilious, arrogant, pompous and haughty son. This puzzles the young man, for Father William does not act his age. In the poem, there are two voices: that of a father and his son exchanging conflicting views. Robert Southey was the Poet Laureate of England from 1813-1843. The father replies to all the questions in a … You are cheerful and love to converse upon death; For instance, another poem which appears in the novel, ‘You Are Old, Father William’, parodies Robert Southey’s 1799 poem ‘The Old Man’s Comforts and How He Gained Them’, a pious poem which begins, ‘You are old, Father William, the young man cried, / The few locks which are left you are grey …’ "The few locks which are left you are grey; Plain Text, Side-by-Side. Comments & analysis: You are old, father William, the young man said, / And your hair And yet you lament not the days that are gone; The old man showing he hasn't lost his touch but the young man finds it is all a big joke." ON SALE - only $29.95 19.95! Line by Line You Are Old Father William Summary by Lewis Carroll In the first stanza, the young man brings up Father William’s advanced age and says that his hair has grown white. the way I heard it was: You are old, Father William, and your teeth are beginning to freeze. Now tell me the reason I pray. I thought of the future, whatever I did, Took to the Law: i.e. To read more about Carleton's web policy, click here. “You Are Old, Father William” is a poem by Lewis Carroll written in a question-and-answer format. Thus Alice begins to recite what turns out to be nonsense. And He hath not forgotten my age. Note how just preceding Alice’s garbled version of the poem, she “folded her hands,” assuming the typical position for formal recitation. Now tell me the reason, I pray." ", "You are old, father William," the young man cried, A PoetryNotes™ Analysis of You Are Old, Father William by Lewis Carroll, is Available!. ‘You Are Old, Father William’ by Lewis Carroll is a poem that is structured as a dialogue between a “father” and “his son,” though the details given for the pair vary and cause confusion in regard to who is involved in this exchange. pp. A parody is used to mock, or make fun of, something. Click on an artist from the right hand column to see his or her rendition of "Father William." For the recent "Almost Alice" album, the band They Might Be Giants recorded a musical version of the poem. Below is a version of Irving Fine's "Father William" as performed by the Wellesley College Choir. Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, goes much further than Carroll’s parody at satirizing and criticizing the institution. Glass eel fishing using basket traps has been of significant economic value in many river estuaries on the western seaboard of Europe (Wikipedia). Fun Fact: College Choir performing Irving Fine's "Father William". The Old Mans Comforts, & how he gained them. That I never might need them at last. The Caterpillar then tells her to repeat “You Are Old, Father William” in order to test her memory. Quick fast explanatory summary. The law was a popular profession in the Victorian era for younger sons of the aristocracy, although as a system it was highly in need of reform. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. "You are old, father William," the young man cried,"And pleasures with youth pass away.And yet you lament not the days that are gone;Now tell me the reason, I pray." Secrets to Poetry. A PoetryNotes™ eBook is available for this poem for delivery within 24 hours, and usually available within minutes during normal business hours. The poem is a parody of Robert Southey's didactic poem "The Old Man's Comforts and How He Gained Them", originally published in 1799. "And life must be hast'ning away; Last updated: May 6, 2011. The Caterpillar suggests that Alice recite You are old, Father William. Alice informs the Caterpillar that she has previously tried to repeat "How Doth the Little Busy Bee" and has had it all come wrong as "How Doth the Little Crocodile". Now tell me the reason, I pray." Instead, he … to practice law. The original, by Robert Southey, is "The Old Man's Comforts, and how he gained them", the parody, Lewis Carroll's "You are Old, Father William." Thank you for your support. In the days of my youth, father William replied I remember’d that youth would fly fast, And abused not my health & my vigour at first In the Victorian era the famous jellied eels of East London were especially popular. Aaron Marchant 09 October 2018. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. 71-74 of "Alice in Wonderland" (I know I say from "Through the Looking Glass", but … Click here to hear it on YouTube. This is just one of the many famous didactic poems that Carroll parodies in Alice. Instructor-paced BETA Control the pace so everyone advances through each question together. dkyadav94 dkyadav94 Explanation: the three things were. Postings to Carleton's World Wide Web by individuals and student organizations reflect their own thoughts, interests, and activities; they do not implicitly or explicitly represent official positions and policies of Carleton College.