In "Gerontion," the old man, who may be a representation of the titular Gerontion, is sitting in a chair, reflecting on his life and the world around him. He is "withered" and "old" with "a cracked voice," and his thoughts are fragmented and disconnected. The poem begins with him looking out the window at the "vacant" landscape, which represents the emptiness and meaninglessness he feels in his life.
Here are some lines from the beginning of "Gerontion" that illustrate this:
* "Here I am, an old man in a dry month,
Being read to by a boy, waiting for rain."
* "I have lost my sight, I have lost my hearing,
There is no other thing that I shall ever find."
* "I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the moment of my greatness fade."
The poem then explores various themes related to his age, decline, and the decay of Western civilization.