"Growing Old": Explanation

Stanza 1: 

Growing old is a reality. The poet’s first query is what is growing old? What kind of experience one undergoes in advancing of age. Is it restricted to the loss of charm, attraction, youth and the lively vivacious sparkle of the eye? Youth is desirable and old age is dull, lifeless. Flowers of youth wither away, lose their blooming radiance. The bitter truth is that no one wants to give up the radiance of youth. The most depressing is the realization of degenerating organs of the body.

Stanza 2: 

The general definition of old age is the loss of robustness, vigor, strength and vivacity. Bones become rigid and stiff. Nerves become weak and loose due to the sufferings and hardships of life. The poet shows the grief of life by using cacophonous {harsh) words.

Stanza 3: 

Along with loss of physical beauty and strength, the youthful illusion of grace and beauty disappears. The positive feelings towards maturity, its mellowness and softness and tenderness are all false. When the sun sets in the west its heat and brightness acquires softer shades of golden and red. The day when it is ending is declining ends in a glorious light that spreads on the horizon. The robust youth dreamt of a soft, golden-warm alpen glow, a declining day and charming sunset, but is disappointed and disheartened to find the loss of beauty and youthful energy.

Stanza 4: 

It is a physical and mental decline. A certain regard would be attached to the old, a great honour and respect with special attention and care. We cry for the day when we live life to the fullest. The soul is burdened, the heart deeply moved and nostalgic for the past. As William Wordsworth says in “The intimations of immortality”:

“Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

Shades of the prison house begin to close

Upon the growing boy.”

Stanza 5+6: 

the life is full of long unending days. In old age people shut away from the world and are unable to take part in the race of life. They are not active and strong. Old age is like a hot prison not soothing or comforting at all.

Stanza 7:

 The last stage of man’s life ends in death: the loss of passion for life. They become frozen from inside, with faint and quiet souls. Emotions go away from the heart, strength of the body is used up and they become ghosts of themselves. As John Keats says in “Ode to nightingale”:

“Where youth grows pale and spectre-thin,and dies;”