In a Lonely Place
In a Lonely Place - meaning Summary
Pride Meets Youthful Certainty
The poem stages a brief encounter between a speaker and an elderly sage in a lonely place. The sage, studying a newspaper, questions its meaning. The speaker declares himself "greater," asserting that the paper contains the wisdom of the age. The exchange compresses themes of generational authority, modern knowledge versus traditional wisdom, and a confident, possibly ironic claim about who holds cultural insight.
Read Complete AnalysesIn a lonely place, I encountered a sage Who sat, all still, Regarding a newspaper. He accosted me: 'Sir, what is this? ' Then I saw that I was greater, Aye, greater than this sage. I answered him at once, 'Old, old man, it is the wisdom of the age.' The sage looked upon me with admiration.
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