O YOUTH sweet comrade youth, wouldst thou be gone?
Long have we dwelt together, thou and I;
Together drunk of many an alien dawn,
And plucked the fruit of many an alien sky.
Ah, fickle friend, must I,
who yesterday Dreamed forwards to long, undimmed ecstasy,
Henceforward dream, because thou wilt not stay,
Backward to transient pleasure and to thee?
I give thee back thy false, ephemeral vow;
But, O beloved comrade, ere we part,
Upon my mournful eyelids and my brow
Kiss me who hold thine image in my heart.
Why does the poet call youth 'fickle' friend?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → It is short-lived
The poet refers to youth as a "fickle" friend because youth is often considered transient and short-lived. The use of the word "fickle" suggests that youth is not constant or dependable, emphasizing its fleeting nature. The poet reflects on the impermanence of youth and how it eventually gives way to the passage of time.