Appreciation on When I was one-and-twenty poem

                                   

When I was One-and-Twenty

I personally, consider that this poem is very great poem which I never read than ever. Seven six seven six are the rhythm of this poem at the beginning till the end. So that is why, this poem can be sung as a song. The theme of this poem is about regret. In which the young man ignored the advice of a wise man in the past. The wise man in the poem is an older man than the speaker who has many experiences.

Housman began his interesting poem with compound adjective word which is hyphenated, One-and-Twenty. Although the word Twenty one was able for use but he chose the word One-and-Twenty as the characteristic of his poem. The word One-and-Twenty also helps the rhythm arrangement of his poem to be seven six rhythm. We can take a look the evidence by counting the syllable of each line of the poem. The last sentences of this poem are the key words for the theme of this poem. In which the young man is in two-and -twenty then he says; and 'Oh'  'tis true 'tis true.  His statement as if describes to us about his regret of his ignoring advice of a wise man with the sentence "No use to talk to me" in the age One-and-Twenty.

When I read this poem, it reminds me to my beloved kyai in the past. At that time, he was advising me and my friends about hadist of Prophet Muhammad; Igtanim khomsan qobla khomsin (Prepare the five before the five). He was advising me and my friends about one of the five which about Syabaabaka qobla haromika (Your young before your old) spiritually. Oh, now I miss him so much.

MK