The nature of change is a common refrain in Yeats's poetry, especially in his later ones as he became acutely aware of the onset of old age, which forced him to confront his sense of mortality. In “Among the School Children”, the speaker, who's clearly Yeats himself, finds himself reflecting on his younger years and how he's changed since then. The presence of children provides the catalyst for these ruminations, forcing Yeats to come to grips with the passage of time.

But it is...

(The entire section contains 263 words.)