As gorgeous as this poem is , it arises from profound heartache . I think Yeats knew that we cannot and should not turn our backs on the things we loved in life , even when aging takes them away . The things we loved are lovely . The appropriate response to their loss — at least for a time — is grief .
Perhaps these words from an ancient sage can move us from grief to a measure of contentment . The writer of Ecclesiastes said , “ There is a time for everything , and a season for every activity under the heavens .”
This includes , “ a time to be born and a time to die .” Observing that everything is beautiful in its own time , he concluded , “ I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live .”
Lloyd Den Boer is a retired educator living in Edmonton with his wife . Together they aspire to live contentedly , enjoying the best of what lies ahead on their path through life ’ s later years .
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