Young Man's Song
'She will change,' I cried. 'Into a withered crone.' The heart in my side, That so still had lain, In noble rage replied And beat upon the bone: 'Uplift those eyes and throw Those glances unafraid: She would as bravely show Did all the fabric fade; No withered crone I saw Before the world was made.' Abashed by that report, For the heart cannot lie, I knelt in the dirt. And all shall bend the knee To my offended heart Until it pardon me.
Young Man's Song - meaning Summary
Love Defends Its Vision
A speaker panics that a beloved will age into a "withered crone," but his heart objects, insisting it always perceived her true worth and beauty before the world existed. The heart’s proud defense causes shame; the speaker kneels and vows humility, declaring that all will honor his wounded heart until it forgives him. The poem traces a movement from fear and projection to internal contradiction, repentance, and a plea for reconciliation.
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