Unit 12 — The Old Woman

Paraphrase & Stanza-wise Comprehension

Poet: Joseph Campbell
Textbook: English 9, KP Textbook Board — Unit 12, pp.117–122
Form: 3 stanzas × 4 lines = 12 lines
Rhyme scheme: ABCB in each stanza — place / face, sun / done, still / mill
Theme: Humanity — the dignity and quiet beauty of old age

About the poet (as given in the book): The poet Joseph Campbell was born in 1906 in White Plains, New York. He won name and fame as a writer, poet and athlete. As an athlete, he was among the fastest half-mile runners in the world. His first published work was "Where the Two Came to Their Father". The poem "The Old Woman" has been taken from his collection of poems. He describes the old age of a woman: the beauty of a woman vanishes and she looks like a white candle in her old age.

Note for the teacher: the poem "The Old Woman" is in fact by the Irish poet Joseph Campbell (1879–1944). The biography printed in the textbook belongs to the American writer Joseph Campbell (1904–1987), a different man with the same name. Students should learn the textbook version for the examination, but it is worth mentioning the difference.

THE POEM

As a white candle
In a holy place,
So is the beauty
Of an aged face.

As the spent radiance
Of the winter sun,
So is a woman
With her travail done,

Her brood gone from her,
And her thoughts as still
As the waters
Under a ruined mill.

STANZA 1

As a white candle
In a holy place,
So is the beauty
Of an aged face.

Word meanings

Paraphrase

The poet says that just as a plain white candle burns quietly in a sacred place, in the same way there is a beauty in the face of a very old woman. Her beauty is no longer the beauty of youth; it is a calm, pure, holy beauty.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from the poem The Old Woman by Joseph Campbell. In this opening stanza the poet gives us his central comparison.

The poet does not say that the old woman is ugly or finished. He says the opposite: her face has a beauty of its own. He compares it to a white candle in a holy place. The comparison works in several ways at once. A candle is white — pure and simple, without decoration. It stands in a holy place, so it is treated with reverence. It gives a soft, gentle light, not a dazzling one. And, most movingly, a candle gives light by consuming itself — exactly as an old woman has spent her own life in the service of her family.

Notice the structure: "As a white candle… So is the beauty…" This "As… so" pattern is the mark of a simile, and the poet uses it three times in the poem.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Simile — "As a white candle in a holy place, So is the beauty of an aged face"
• Symbolism — the white candle stands for purity, sacrifice, and a light that burns itself out for others
• Imagery — "white candle", "holy place", "aged face" (appeals to sight)

Stanza comprehension

Q1. With what does the poet compare the beauty of an aged face?
He compares it with a white candle burning in a holy place.

Q2. Why is the comparison with a candle so suitable?
Because a candle is white and pure, it stands in a sacred place and is treated with reverence, it gives a soft and gentle light rather than a dazzling one, and above all it gives light by consuming itself — just as an old woman has spent her own life and strength for her family.

Q3. Does the poet think old age is ugly?
No. He believes that old age has a beauty of its own — not the bright beauty of youth, but a calm, holy, dignified beauty that deserves reverence.

Q4. What does "a holy place" suggest?
It suggests that an old woman deserves the same respect and reverence that we give to a sacred place. Her face is not merely old; it is worthy of honour.

STANZA 2

As the spent radiance
Of the winter sun,
So is a woman
With her travail done,

Word meanings

Paraphrase

The poet says that the old woman is like the faded, gentle brightness of the winter sun. Just as the winter sun has lost its fierce heat but still shines mildly and pleasantly, so is a woman whose long life of hard work and suffering is now finished.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from The Old Woman by Joseph Campbell. Here the poet gives his second comparison.

The winter sun is a perfect image for old age. In summer the sun is fierce, dazzling and sometimes unbearable; in winter it is pale and weak, and yet it is more welcome and more comforting than at any other time of year. Its radiance is spent — used up — but it still gives a gentle warmth. In exactly this way, the old woman has lost the fire and strength of her youth, but what remains of her is mild, warm and precious.

The phrase "with her travail done" is deeply sympathetic. Travail means hard labour and suffering. It reminds us of everything she has endured — the raising of children, the toil of a household, years of difficulty — and it tells us that all of it is now over. She has finished her work. She has earned her rest.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Simile — "As the spent radiance of the winter sun, So is a woman"
• Metaphor / symbolism — the winter sun stands for the last, gentle stage of human life
• Imagery — "spent radiance", "winter sun" (appeals to sight and touch — light and warmth)
• Alliteration — "spent… sun… so"

Stanza comprehension

Q1. With what does the poet compare the old woman in this stanza?
He compares her with the spent radiance of the winter sun — the faded, gentle brightness of the sun in winter.

Q2. Why is the winter sun a suitable comparison for an old woman?
Because the winter sun has lost its fierce summer heat and is pale and weak, just as the old woman has lost the strength of her youth. Yet the winter sun is more welcome and comforting than at any other season, and in the same way an old woman, though weak, is warm, gentle and precious to her family.

Q3. What is meant by "with her travail done"?
It means that her long life of hard work, difficulty and suffering is now finished. She has completed her labour — the raising of children and the toil of a household — and has earned her rest.

Q4. What does "spent radiance" tell us about the old woman?
It tells us that her brightness has been used up in the service of others. She is now weak in body, but the fact that her radiance was spent means it was given away — to her family and her work. She is weak but rich in experience.

STANZA 3

Her brood gone from her,
And her thoughts as still
As the waters
Under a ruined mill.

Word meanings

Paraphrase

The poet says that her children have all grown up and gone away from her, and now her thoughts are as calm and motionless as the water lying beneath an old, broken-down mill.

Explanation (reference to context)

These lines are taken from The Old Woman by Joseph Campbell. In this closing stanza the poet completes his picture of old age.

First he gives us her situation: "Her brood gone from her." The children she raised have grown up and left. This one short line carries all the loneliness of old age.

Then comes the finest image in the whole poem. Her thoughts are "as still as the waters under a ruined mill." The comparison must be understood carefully. A working water-mill is full of noise — the wheel turns, the water rushes and foams, the machinery grinds. But when the mill falls into ruin, the wheel stops, and the water beneath it becomes deep, silent and perfectly still.

That is exactly the old woman's mind. In her working years her thoughts were busy, hurried and full of the noise of daily duty. Now the machinery of her life has stopped, and her mind has become deep and calm. The stillness is not emptiness — still water is deep water. It suggests wisdom, peace and maturity rather than mere blankness.

Figures of speech in this stanza

• Simile — "her thoughts as still as the waters under a ruined mill"
• Metaphor / symbolism — the ruined mill stands for a life whose active work is over; the still water for a calm, deep, experienced mind
• Imagery — "waters", "ruined mill" (appeals to sight and hearing — by its very silence)
• Contrast — the noisy working mill implied against the silent ruined one

Stanza comprehension

Q1. What is meant by "Her brood gone from her"?
It means that her children have grown up and left her. They have gone away to their own lives, and she is now alone.

Q2. With what are her thoughts compared, and why?
Her thoughts are compared with the still waters under a ruined mill. When a mill is working, the water rushes and roars; when the mill is ruined, the water becomes deep and perfectly silent. In the same way, her mind was once busy with the noise of daily duty, and is now calm, deep and peaceful.

Q3. Does "still" mean that her mind is empty?
No. Still water is deep water. The stillness suggests calmness, maturity and wisdom gathered over a lifetime, not emptiness. Her mind is at peace, not blank.

Q4. What feeling does the last stanza leave with the reader?
It leaves a feeling of quiet sympathy and reverence. We feel the loneliness of an old woman whose children have gone, but also a deep peace, and we are moved to treat her with love and respect.

CONTINUOUS PARAPHRASE OF THE WHOLE POEM

Just as a plain white candle burns quietly in a sacred place, so there is a pure and holy beauty in the face of a very old woman.

Just as the winter sun has spent its brightness and shines only mildly, so is a woman whose long life of hard work and suffering is now finished.

Her children have all grown up and gone away from her, and her thoughts have become as deep and silent as the water lying still beneath an old, broken-down mill.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM (about 80 words)

In this short poem Joseph Campbell praises the beauty and dignity of old age. He compares the face of an aged woman to a white candle burning in a holy place — pure, gentle and worthy of reverence, giving light by consuming itself. He then compares her to the spent radiance of the winter sun: her fierce strength is gone, but what remains is mild and welcome, and her life of hard labour is over. Finally he tells us that her children have left her and that her thoughts are now as still as the water beneath a ruined mill — deep, silent and full of quiet wisdom. The poem teaches us to look upon the old with love and respect.

CENTRAL IDEA / THEME

The central idea is that old age has its own beauty and deserves our reverence. The poet rejects the common idea that an old woman is merely faded and useless. Through three gentle comparisons — the white candle, the winter sun, and the still water under a ruined mill — he shows that she is pure, warm, deep and at peace. Her strength has been spent in the service of her family, and her calm mind holds the wisdom of a whole lifetime. The poem is placed under the theme of humanity, because it asks us to look at the elderly with sympathy, love and respect.

ANSWERS TO THE TEXTBOOK EXERCISE

COMPREHENSION — A. Answer the following questions (p.120)

1. Who does the poet praise in the poem, and how?
The poet praises an old woman — and through her, old age itself. He praises her by means of three beautiful comparisons: her aged face is as lovely as a white candle in a holy place; she is like the spent radiance of the winter sun, gentle and welcome though no longer fierce; and her mind is as calm and deep as the still waters under a ruined mill. Instead of pitying her, he shows that she is pure, dignified, peaceful and worthy of reverence.

2. What does a white candle represent in the poem?
The white candle represents purity, sacredness, gentle light and self-sacrifice. It is white, so it stands for purity and simplicity; it burns in a holy place, so it commands reverence; it gives a soft light rather than a dazzling one; and above all it gives light by consuming itself, just as the old woman has consumed her own life and strength in the service of her family.

3. What is the message of the poem? Explain briefly.
The message is that old age is beautiful and must be respected. Those who have spent their lives working and suffering for others deserve honour, not neglect. Their strength may be gone, but they possess a calm dignity and a deep, quiet wisdom. The poem asks us to look upon the elderly with love, sympathy and reverence, and reminds us that beauty is not confined to youth.

4. Why does the poet compare the old woman to a 'white candle in a holy place', the winter sun and the water under a ruined mill?

Together the three images move from her face (candle) to her body and life's work (winter sun) to her mind (still water) — a complete portrait of old age.

5. Do you like this poem? Why?
(A personal response. Model:)

Yes, I like this poem very much. It is only twelve short lines, yet it changed the way I look at old people. I had always thought of old age as a sad and ugly thing, but the poet shows that it has a beauty of its own. I especially like the last image, of the water lying still under a ruined mill, because it made me realise that the silence of an old person is not emptiness but depth. The language is simple, the pictures are easy to see, and the poem leaves me wanting to be kinder to my own grandparents.

6. What words in the poem help establish imagery?

• Visual imagery: white candle, holy place, aged face, spent radiance, winter sun, waters, ruined mill
• Imagery of light and warmth: candle, radiance, sun
• Imagery of silence and stillness: still, waters, ruined mill
• Imagery of loss and departure: spent, travail done, brood gone from her

7. How many lines and stanzas are there in this poem?
The poem has three stanzas of four lines each, making twelve lines in all. Each stanza follows the rhyme scheme ABCB.

COMPREHENSION — B. Choose the correct option (pp.120–121)

Note on Q1: it is a simile, not a metaphor, because the poet uses the comparing words "As… So is…". Compare this with Unit 8, where "Hope is the thing with feathers" is a metaphor because no comparing word is used. This contrast is a favourite examination question.

VOCABULARY (p.121)

A. Identify the similes in the poem

(All three use the comparing words as … so or as … as, which is what makes them similes.)

B. Which lines of the poem indicate imagery?

C. Pick out the rhyming words from the poem

(In each stanza the second and fourth lines rhyme; the first and third do not.)

WRITING (p.121)

a. Paraphrase the first and third stanzas — see the stanza paraphrases above.
b. Write the summary of the poem — see the summary above.

c. Write an essay of about 100 words on "Appreciating and Respecting Elders"

Appreciating and Respecting Elders

Elders are the roots of a family, and a tree cannot stand without its roots. Our parents and grandparents have spent their whole strength in raising us. As the poet says of the old woman, they are like a white candle that gives light by burning itself away, and like the winter sun whose radiance has been spent for our sake.

To respect elders means far more than touching their feet or standing when they enter. It means speaking to them gently, listening to them patiently even when their stories are long, seeking their advice, and caring for them in illness as they once cared for us. It means never making them feel that they are a burden.

Islam places this duty very high. The Holy Quran commands us not even to say "uff" to our parents in their old age, and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said that he is not of us who does not show respect to his elders and mercy to his youngers.

Our elders possess something no book can give — experience. Their minds, still as deep water, hold the wisdom of a lifetime. Sadly, today many old people are neglected or sent away to live alone.

We must remember one simple truth: every one of us who lives long enough will one day be old. The respect we give today is the respect we shall receive tomorrow.

LISTENING & SPEAKING (p.121)

Task: Imagine you recently had an English test. In pairs, express hopes and fears regarding your performance / result.

Useful expressions

Model dialogue:

Ali: How did your English test go?
Bilal: Honestly, I'm a little worried. I'm afraid I may have run out of time in the essay.
Ali: Don't lose hope. I hope you'll still get good marks — you write very well.
Bilal: Fingers crossed. But I'm nervous about the grammar section; I think I confused simile with metaphor.
Ali: That's a common mistake. I'm fairly confident about mine, though I dread the paraphrase question.
Bilal: Let's hope for the best. Whatever happens, we'll know what to prepare next time.

GRAMMAR — ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE (p.122)

The rules of changing voice

To change active into passive:

1. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive.
2. The verb becomes be + past participle (V3), in the same tense.
3. The subject of the active sentence moves into a "by" phrase — or is dropped if it is unknown or unimportant.

Note: the perfect continuous tenses and the future continuous are not normally used in the passive voice.

A. Change the following sentences into the passive voice

Note on 2 and 5: the doer (they) is vague and unimportant, so the by phrase is normally dropped.
Note on 9: this verb has two objects, so two passives are possible. The usual preference is to make the person the subject.

B. Change active sentences to passive and passive sentences to active

GLOSSARY (p.119 — as given in the book)

QUICK REFERENCE — FIGURES OF SPEECH IN THE POEM

LIKELY EXAM QUESTIONS

1. Paraphrase any one stanza of the poem The Old Woman.
2. Write the summary of the poem The Old Woman.
3. Who does the poet praise in the poem, and how?
4. What does the white candle represent in the poem?
5. Why does the poet compare the old woman to the winter sun and to the water under a ruined mill?
6. What is the message / central idea of the poem?
7. Identify the three similes used in the poem.
8. Pick out the rhyming words and give the rhyme scheme.
9. Write an essay on "Appreciating and Respecting Elders".
10. Define active and passive voice. Change the given sentences from active to passive and vice versa.