Poem - When I Am An Old Woman (Int to Prof)

Warning

by Jenny Joseph

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Comprehension questions

1. Is the narrator old now?


Yes
No


2. What does the narrator want to be like when she is old?


Rebellious
Sweet and charming


3. How will she dress?


badly
smartly


4. Is the narrator well behaved now?


Yes
No


5. Why is she going to start practising?


In order to get better
So her friends are not shocked

Answers: 1 no, 2  rebellious 3 badly 4 yes 5 So her friends are not shocked

Now listen to the poem being read 

Vocabulary

to suit  - to look good on somebody
pavement - place to walk next to the road

to gobble up - eat very quickly

samples - small things you can try for free

railings - metal bars

to make up for - compensate for 

slippers - soft shoes to wear at home

to spit - espulse saliva from your mouth

to swear - to say offensive words

Fill the gaps

Children are told not to . It is not hygenic.

I´ve bought some lovely pink . My feet will be warm in winter.
I´ve got to do some extra work to all the time I missed when I was ill.
You shouldn´t really ride your bike on the .
Please don´t in front of the children.
I didn´t buy the orange shirt. It didn´t me. 


spit, slippers, make up for, pavement, swear, suit

About this poem 

Jenny Joseph, English poetess, wrote her frank and charming 'purple poem' in 1961.

The original 'Warning, When I Am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple' poem was written by Ms. Joseph in 1961 when she was thirty years old.

It was not widely accepted in British publications but when it was printed in the New York Times, it became a globally well-known and expressive icon of women's aging and freedom. In a survey offered by the BBC in 1996, her poem was accepted as the most popular post-war poetry ever published in British history.

Joseph's second-line poetic words became the inspiration for the Red Hat Society that has been popular over the globe. Love and laughter are the base of this club for ladies,  wearers of red hats and purple clothing with other red accessories. Their  society expresses the joy of life in self and others, much like the poetic expression of Ms. Joseph's "Warning..." poem.