For His Age And Quite Plump

For His Age And Quite Plump

About Connie Smith
Connie L. Smith spends a decent amount of time with her mind wandering in fictional places. She reads too much, likes to bake, and might forever be sad that she doesn’t have fairy wings. She has her BA from Northern Kentucky University in Speech Communication and History (she doesn’t totally get the connection either), and her MA in English and Creative Writing. In addition, she freelances as a blogger for topics like sewing and running, with a little baking, gift-giving, and gardening having occasionally been thrown in the topic list.

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‘You Are Old, Father William’ by Lewis Carroll is a poem that is structured as a dialogue between a “father” and “his son”.
‘You Are Old, Father William’ by Lewis Carroll is a poem that is structured as a dialogue between a “father” and “his son,” though the details given for the pair vary and cause confusion in regard to who is involved in this exchange. This confusion pairs well with the odd inquiries posed by the “son,” as well as the odd responses of the “father,” and the mixture of bizarre proves to be a perfect circumstance to mirror the theme of ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ . That theme involves generation gaps—specifically how different generations can fail to understand one another.
“You are old, Father William,” the young man said,
“And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head –
Do you think, at your age, it is right?”
“In my youth,” Father William replied to his son,
“I feared it might injure the brain;
But, now that I’m perfectly sure I have none,
The structure of ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ is a dialogue between an “old” man named “Father William” and “his son.” In the first stanza , the “son” pointed out that “Father William” was “age[d]” and posed the “question” of why he “incessantly stand[s] on [his] head.” When asked if this was “right” because of his “age,” “Father William” contended that when he was in his “youth,” he was afraid to do this, but “age” taught him he did not have a “brain” to “injure.” Because of this detail, he had taken to performing the action “again and again.”
There are a number of things to note within these stanzas, including the bizarre nature of the relationship between “Father William” and “his son.” The name of the “Father” was given within the “son[‘s]” dialogue, which indicates that he addressed the “old[er]” man by this name. This situation would hint that “Father” was a title rather than a relationship. However, in Line Two, this “young[er]” fellow was noted as “Father William[‘s]” “son.” Perhaps both “Father” and “son” were but titles that express a relationship different than genetics, or there was a genetic connection that was treated in a more formal manner than a typical, casual attitude —thus the reference of “Father William.” There is no clear answer to this aspect of ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ , which begins a confusing structure.
That confusion continues in that “Father William[‘s]” reasoning for “stand[ing] on [his] head” in his later years made little sense. Of course, he had a “brain” to be “injure[d],” so he could never be “perfectly sure” otherwise. Perhaps “Father William” believed he had lost his mind, but it was still not an accurate account since the “brain” would have been intact.
Furthermore, “Father William” being able to think on these levels is evidence that his mind was sharp and able when he had this conversation with “his son,” as if he was being witty and mischievous. If such was the case, “Father William” could have been mocking “his son[‘s]” concern, and by extension, using this idea of being without a “brain” as a criticism toward “his son.” Essentially, this could have been “Father William” insulting the “son” for being “brain[less]” for “question[ing]” the “Father[s’]” actions. It is an answer that was more mirror-like than honest, in that “the son” got a response that was meant to be his own reflection rather than an actual rationalization for the “Father[‘s]” actions.
“You are old,” said the youth, “as I mentioned before,
And have grown most uncommonly fat;
Yet you turned a back-somersault in at the door –
“In my youth,” said the sage, as he shook his grey locks,
By the use of this ointment – one shilling the box –
The lack of clarity for significant plot elements continues in these stanzas since what was noted as “Father William” is now referred to as “the sage.” While on instinct, the reader might assume that this was a new person in the conversation, the idea that “the youth” said “as I mentioned before” makes it clear that this was a continuance of the previous stanzas’ dialogue. Still, there are discrepancies present, like the fact that Stanza One indicates that the “old[er]” fellow had “very white” “hair,” but in Stanza Three, he had “grey locks.” It is possible, with this in mind, that the poem has revealed itself to be about “youth” in general and an “old[er]” generation, rather than a specific pair of speakers, like an ongoing commentary that the “young” does not understand the generations who came before them.
If such is the case, the mocking between the speakers is geared toward generations so that, for this pair of stanzas, “the sage[‘s]” answer to the “question” of why he “turned a back-somersault in at the door” becomes an insult toward “youth” overall. He asked “the youth” if he would like “a couple” “box[es]” of the “ointment” that he credited for his “limbs” having been “very supple.” This is an insult because it was telling “the youth” that the “old[er]” generation was in fine shape, but the “young[er]” group could have used the assistance of “this ointment” to boost their strength.
It is important as well to note that for every answer thus far in ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ , the response has essentially been that the “old[er]” generation thought similar to “the youth,” but “age” showed them the error of their trains of thought. In this, the superiority of “age” is showcased to elevate the mocking tone of the responses.
“You are old,” said the youth, “and your jaws are too weak
Yet you finished the goose, with the bones and the beak –
Pray, how did you manage to do it?”
“In my youth,” said his father, “I took to the law,
And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,
Rather than criticize the elder’s mobility in this pair of stanzas, “the youth” instead posed the “question” of how the “father” could eat “the goose, with the bones and the beak” since his “jaws [were] too weak.” This takes the generational gap to a new level since the topic is no longer related to moving about, but something as needful as eating. By asking this “question,” the “young” person attacked the “father” on a critical level because eating is necessary. However, the manner in which the “question” was addressed is, again, unusual since “the bones and the beak” were referenced as reasons why the “father” should not have been capable of eating “the goose.” If there was no need to eat these hard elements of “the goose” to have a meal, there was no logical reason to bring these details up to prove the meal was unbefitting someone his “age.”
The rationalization of the response the “father” provided proves just as confusing since he stated he “argued each case with [his] wife” which built “the muscular strength” in his “jaw” to allow him the ability to eat “the goose.” As debating with anyone would not likely make him capable of consuming things as solid as “the bones and the beak,” the reasoning did not quite make sense. It was related to similar concepts since eating and talking both involve the “jaw,” but capability in one does not mean the same for the other.
Once more, then, the reader is left with ideas that do not fully make sense, which again makes the tone of the dialogue a bit mocking, particularly when the “father” used the common scapegoat of marriage as a reason for enduring stress to become strong. The idea is practically cliché , and by presenting it as the rationalization, the “father” made a commentary on what he thought of the “the youth[‘s]” “question.” To him, it seems, the “question” was pitiful, so it deserved nothing beyond a cliché answer—one that did not even make a rational reply. It seems, then, the “father[‘s]” frustration grew as time went along.
“You are old,” said the youth, “one would hardly suppose
That your eye was as steady as ever;
Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose –
“I have answered three questions, and that is enough,”
Said his father; “don’t give yourself airs!
Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?
Be off, or I’ll kick you downstairs!”
The “father[‘s]” frustration became more apparent when he insisted his previous replies were “enough,” and then threatened violence on “the youth” if he did not stop with the “questions.” It is also clear that he considered “the youth[‘s]” mindset to be inferior and a bother since he posed his own “question:” “Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff?” By asking this, the “father” basically told the “son” that his wonderings were a waste of time.
This lashing out, as it happened, came after what might have been the most unusual inquiry from “the youth” when he asked “his father” about “balanc[ing] an eel on the end of [his] nose,” commenting that this was “clever.” In reality, however, the idea was not “clever,” but bizarre, and it was this extended absurdity that caused the “father” to break “enough” to tell the “son” to “[b]e off.”
Throughout ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ , overall, there is a progression of odd elements, like mismatched description, unusual wondering, and ridiculous response, that only halted when the “father” had “enough” and ended the conversation. As a representation of the generational gap, this speaks volumes in that “the youth” and the elderly seem to make less sense to each other as time goes on, to the point where each generation’s stance is wondered over or mocked. In the end, the gap was so defined that at a certain point, all that could be done was to have “enough” and “[b]e off” from the conversation.
There is no better method of representing these concepts than by trading such unusual back-and-forth dialogue, meaning Carroll has showcased the strangeness of both generations to one another with precision. This is, in the end, the theme of ‘ You Are Old, Father William’ : that the generations may never understand one another.
Lewis Carroll is potentially best known for his works involving the famous character, Alice — specifically Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass . His use of bizarre elements proves a common trait of his works so that his stories are as unusual as they are endearing. He was an English poet who lived from 1832 until 1898.
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Smith, Connie. "You Are Old, Father William by Lewis Carroll". Poem Analysis , https://poemanalysis.com/lewis-carroll/you-are-old-father-william/ . Accessed 14 October 2022.

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The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Al Pacino

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The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Al Pacino

By Boshika Gupta / Updated: June 17, 2021 12:56 pm EDT
Alfredo James Pacino, better known as Al Pacino, is undoubtedly an icon of our times. He's spent more than 50 years as an actor and is the face for many legendary movies including The Godfather , Scent of a Woman, Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon, Dick Tracy, and The Irishman . He is a method actor who has led a rich life and inspired generations with his talent and unique persona on screen. Pacino is also the recipient of many honors including an Academy Award and two Emmy Awards.
Pacino is a deep thinker who is not afraid of getting honest. He once told The Guardian in a 2015 interview that he has thought about mortality. "You don't think about it yet, but it will come to you," he said, adding that the realization that things do come to an end does hit everyone. He's well-known for being a hardcore method actor and doesn't believe in stopping or quitting. Pacino has claimed that, even if people question his acting skills as his career progresses, he simply doesn't see the point in giving up.
Pacino is an acting legend with many fans across the world, no doubt. But even devoted fans may be unfamiliar with the most tragic moments from his life, like the loss of his mother when he was still struggling to be a full-time actor. Let's take a look at Al Pacino's life, including his ups and downs through the years.
Al Pacino didn't have easy beginnings. He was born in New York in 1940 and never got to enjoy that happy, two-parent home life. His parents separated when he was just two. He mentioned to The Guardian that his school teachers felt that he needed a father figure in his life. His father wasn't an active part of his life at that point. "I wasn't an out-of-control teenager, but I was close," he explained.
Pacino's household was unconventional in that he was surrounded by his mom, his sister, and his grandparents. He said that even though they weren't well off financially, he still felt lucky and got a chance to experience a life of adventure (via Interview Magazine ). "It was tough for me growing up, I will say. But pretty much my grandmother, she ruled. And my mother was second. They were relatively young," he added, explaining that his mom was pregnant with him at a young age. Pacino has always felt indebted to his family for taking care of him in those turbulent times and helping him become the person he was meant to be.
Al Pacino was endlessly fascinated by the arts, even as a kid. As illustrated in a New Yorker piece, Pacino would often take to performing wherever he was, including on the streets. In fact, he was called "the Actor." "We'd act out parts from joke books and comic books," he revealed. He added that he knows a lot of kids star in videos these days but things were different back then and it wasn't common to watch street urchins act out plays in the Bronx. His old neighbor Ken Lipper revealed that Pacino always had that spark in him and "was full of drama." He was not afraid to warm up to different characters and would often experiment out in public.
Pacino was also good looking. His looks and talent both got him noticed early on as girls in the neighborhood admired him, calling him "Sonny Pacino, the lover bambino." The actor was witty too and would use his acting skills to befriend other kids and confuse bullies, something that definitely worked to his advantage. It was almost like he was destined to become an acting legend in the f
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For His Age And Quite Plump

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