“Warning” by Jenny Joseph

The poem I have chosen to look at today is “Warning” by British poet Jenny Joseph. Some people also refer to the poem by its first line, “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple.” The poem deals with the fear many people have that they will live their entire lives being proper and boring.

Credit: retirementinvestigator.com

In one section of the poem, Joseph writes,

“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 will have friends to dinner and read the papers.”

Clearly this type of existence is not one that Joseph considers happy or even palatable. She feels that a life governed by duty alone is no kind of a life at all. Her idea of a perfect existence is revealed in the first lines of the poem:

“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat that 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.”

This is the kind of life Joseph longs for — a life on the edge. She is willing to give up a proper, dignified existence and shock her friends and society by doing things considered outrageous for a middle-aged woman. Joseph also implies that she enjoys risk-taking, writing about spending her money on what she wants instead of what she and her household need.

Jenny Joseph was born in Birmingham, England in 1932 and is now 84 years old. She attended St. Hilda’s College University of Oxford to study English literature. Written in 1961, “Warning,” is by far her most popular poem. In 1996, it won an award for being the most popular post-war poem in the United Kingdom. During her distinguished career, Joseph wrote over a dozen poetry collections and received several honors for her writing.

Credit: britishredhatters2.weebly.com

“Warning” inspired the Red Hat Society, a woman’s organization which boasts multiple chapters around the world. The women generally wear purple and red to their meetings and attend social functions such as going out to tea or attending a movie. Some nursing homes even have chapters of the Red Hat Society. These chapters give the residents a chance to socialize with each other and enjoy activities they might otherwise avoid.

Each person has a different idea of what constitutes a satisfying life. Some people prefer a sedate, dignified existence. Others would rather spend their time daring to live a life outside of the norm. What is your preference?

(Find the full text of “Warning” here.)