The poem takes place on an evening at “one summer’s end” (Line 1). It is believed to be autobiographical, recounting a conversation that occurred between Yeats and his friends in 1903. In literature, twilight is often thought to represent a turning point between one world or one state of being and another. Here, the scene takes place both at the turn between day and night, and at another one between summer and autumn. This can be seen as significant to the way the speaker examines the passage of time and the changes that have taken place in the world. Even though the poem was written and published more than a century ago, similar conversations are still taking place today. This makes the setting feel timeless and universal.