Description of Age

With the knowledge that T.S. Eliot wrote this poem at a relatively young age, I found it really interesting that he took such a pessimistic view on the effects the lapsing of time takes on a man. In the beginning of the poem he is not shy about making the narrator seem as though he had lost some of his wits with the lapsing of time. He writes about this delirium saying, "I am an old man, a dull head among windy spaces." Along with intelligence, he also concludes that old age causes a loss of basic senses. He writes, "I  have lost my sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch." He also implies that there is a certain degree of unhappiness correlated with old age. The entire poem is marred with a sad and gloomy tone, as the man reflects on a life full of conflict.  The man seems to lead a lonely existence. I found the lines, "I have no ghosts, An old man in a droughty house under a windy knob" to be particularly discouraging. He also writes about a loss of passion in regard to his wife, but concludes, "why should I need to keep it?" Overall, I found the poem to be a sad reflection on a life past.