C.P. Cavafy's poems are a reflection of his ponderings and musings later in life. His poems reflect the wisdom, regrets, and values of individuals who have lived long lives and accumulated many experiences. Specifically, his poems often speak to the regret that many elderly individuals experience upon reflecting on their youth and childhood innocence.
In "The Windows," for example, Cavafy writes from the perspective of an old man, who has been contained in a small room with no windows. This small room is likely a metaphor for the modern-day equivalent assisted living or nursing homes. The narrator of this poem feels trapped by his age and desperately wishes to locate a window to open. As he ponders, however, he realizes that to have a window would perhaps be infinitely more cruel, as it would allow him to peer into the beauty of the outside world without ever being able to truly touch it. Cavafy uses this poem to shame society’s treatment of elderly individuals; locking them up facilities where they are stripped of their autonomy and the simplest pleasures in life.
Similarly, in "An Old Man," Cavafy describes an old man who is seated at a table, reading a newspaper. As he sits, the man begins to reflect upon and reminiscence about his youth. He comes to realize that he wasted much of his youth and regrets that he did not do more, see more, and experience more. Now that his youth has been taken from him, the narrator realizes that life is short and that it must be seized when you are able. He beseeches all those men and women who told him that there would always be more time to explore and experience. In his old age, he now realizes that life is not limitless; our lives have expiration dates and must, therefore, be lived to the fullest whenever possible. In this way, Cavafy uses this poem as a warning to his youthful readers. He wants them to realize that youth is a gift that cannot be wasted; if one is capable of doing something, they must seize the opportunity and do it.
Finally, in "For the Shop," Cavafy writes from the perspective of an elderly shopkeeper who has recently acquired a series of precious gems. Though the shopkeeper could undoubtedly make a significant amount of money off the gems, he chooses to wrap them up and save them for himself. This decision is likely reflective of the fact that the shopkeeper has come to realize in his old age that few things in life are truly precious; he wants to save the gems because he knows their true value extends far beyond any monetary measure.
In this way, Cavafy's poems are cautionary tales. Cavafy uses his literature to warn his readers against wasting their youth. Old age, he argues, helps us to realize all that we should have done, seen, spoken, and lived. He does not want his readers to share in these same regrets, but rather urges his readers to seize every moment and choose every opportunity.
