What is the poet's tone in the poem, Adam’s Curse?

The poem largely has a casual, conversational quality, which marks a turn from the more traditional styles Yeats favoured early in his career and towards the more modern verse he would explore later in life. There is some colourful, symbolic language such as “stitching and unstitching” (Line 6) or “marrow-bones” (Line 7), but the early half of the poem is generally easy to follow for the average reader. The final stanza introduces more metaphorical language regarding the moon, the passage of time, and the way the lost years have affected the speaker and their companions. At this point the language becomes more reminiscent of the “high courtesy” of love (Line 25). Yet even when the word choices become more elevated and descriptive, it still follows clear rhythms of a real conversation between friends.