Who said “When you are old and gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this…”?

Verified

William Butler Yeats. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceThe Rose (1893)

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“When you are old and gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.”
— William Butler Yeats
VerifiedThe Rose (1893) · evidenceNostalgia

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: The Rose (1893).

APA

Yeats, W. B. (n.d.). When you are old and gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14766-when-you-are-old-and-gray-and-full/

MLA

Yeats, William Butler. “When you are old and gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14766-when-you-are-old-and-gray-and-full/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Yeats, William Butler. “When you are old and gray and full of sleep, and nodding by the fire, take down this book and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/14766-when-you-are-old-and-gray-and-full/.

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More quotes by Yeats

“In dreams begins responsibility.”
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“A pity beyond all telling is hid in the heart of love.”
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“I think you can leave the arts, superior or inferior, to the conscience of mankind.”
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All 36 William Butler Yeats quotes →