By Jenny Joseph
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 flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausage at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things and 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 for 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.
Written in 1961, Jenny Joseph’s poem “Warning,” was often misnamed “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple.,” which is its opening line. “Warning” became a feminist touchstone that highlights older women’s desire to cast off society’s gendered expectations upon them, and to be more authentic and forthright. Joseph passed away at age 85 in 2018 with the distinction of having written one of the most beloved contemporary British poems. The poem also inspired the Red Hat Society which were social clubs for older women to celebrate their later years in a fun, supportive atmosphere.