Among School Children MCQs & Summary [W. B. Yeats]
By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman | Last updated: February 11, 2025
Among School Children is a poem by W. B. Yeats that explores themes of aging, the passage of time, and the search for wisdom. The poet reflects on his own aging process as he visits a school, filled with children. While observing the innocence and energy of the children, Yeats compares their youth to his own old age. He is particularly struck by the contrast between their carefree lives and his own sense of physical decline.
The poem moves between Yeats’ thoughts on the physicality of youth and the deeper, more spiritual side of life. He recalls his youthful dreams, loves, and ideals but questions how they have changed with age. The poet also reflects on the idea of wisdom—whether it comes with age or is something that can be found in the purity of youth. He connects this meditation to the figure of the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, suggesting that true understanding may come not from age, but from a higher, spiritual perspective.
The poem ends on a note of deep reflection, leaving Yeats in awe of the mystery of life, aging, and wisdom, and the cycles that govern existence.
Summary of Among School Children by W. B. Yeats
Fact
Description
Title
Among School Children
Author
W. B. Yeats
Theme
Aging, wisdom, innocence, the passage of time, the contrast between youth and old age
Symbolism
Children symbolize innocence, energy, and youth; aging represents the loss of physical vitality
Published
1927
Poem’s Structure
Lyrical, with reflections on life, aging, and wisdom
Central Imagery
Children in a school, the contrast between youth and age, philosophical ideas
Personal Reflection
Yeats reflects on his own aging, memories of youth, and questions about wisdom
Philosophical Ideas
The nature of wisdom, the cycle of life, the connection between physical age and spiritual insight