What is the significance of Yeats' characterization of the subject as a "pilgrim soul" in Line 7? A It shows that they are different from others that the speaker loved. B It shows that the subject is unable to love the speaker back. C It shows that the speaker loves the subject for who they truly are. D It shows that the speaker loves the subject despite their tendency to stray

C. It shows that the speaker loves the subject for who they truly are.

Explanation:

The question above refers to the poem "When You Are Old" where the speaker describes how much he loves a certain woman. The speaker of the poem describes how many men loved this woman for the beauty they displayed in their youth, but he loved her for her pilgrim soul, that is, she loved her for what she really was, within her soul. For that reason, he continued to love her even when her face started to age.

1.   in sonnet 18, the speaker wants to describe the beauty of his love, but can’t find the words to do so. the speaker says “then in mid-utterance the lay was lost” when he tries to think of the words to describe his love’s beauty.   through his defeat of finding words to describe his love, he shows his love for her.

2.   instead of describing how perfect his love is or comparing her to other beautiful things, he says she is average and there is nothing special about her.   at the last 2 lines of the poem, the volta changes the poem by saying that even though his love is average in beauty, his love for her is special and unique. so instead of praising her throughout the whole poem, he contrasts her average characteristics with his special love for her.

3.   the beloved asked the speaker to describe how he feels about her. she begins to describe what she feels but "drop the torch" and says that she can't do it because the words "hid in me out of reach." the the speaker says "nay, let the silence of my womanhood command my woman-love to thy belief" and that her silence will have to be the answer to his question.