Summary of "I'm Older than You, Please Listen" by A.R.D. Fairburn.

                                Arthur Rex Dugard Fairburn was born and brought up in New Zealand.Both of his parents were well versed in music and so eventually most of his poems have a musical tone.Another noteworthy feature of his poems is that they are poetic dialogues.The form of this poem has it's affectations from the open structure of Eliot's The Waste Land. This poem is a monologue,for the poet addresses and advises the youth of his nation.
                                He begins the poem by saying that he would abruptly tell the young men to get out of the country before it's too late and even before anyone or anything takes control over them.He then says that his country- New Zealand is like a body without any nerves i.e. he intends to say that the country[body] has no power or authority[nerves].Rather it is in the control of the elderly and the rich.
                               He adds up to this by saying that a person might feel contended to live in New Zealand because he could enjoy the fresh breeze and the natural resources of the country.If then the individual should know the hidden truth that he is being completely utilized and his energy and talents are squeezed by the elderly and the enterprises.
                               The poet is a Communist and so he advises the youth of his nation to avoid being the slaves of the Capitalists.He also asks them to smuggle their talents from the island and to sell them in livelier world markets.By doing so he believes that the youth of his country could become the masters of themselves.                                                                                                                                                              He stresses the fact that if one wants to have an identity of his own and aspires to be successful in his life then he has to give up the illusionary comforts that he receives in New Zealand and then he has to struggle his way through the markets of the Megalopolis in order to lead a life of luxury.
                               The poet finally says that it is a futile attempt to anchor for fish[opportunity and identity]in the desert[New Zealand].Fairburn himself went to London during his middle age for he felt that he was being stagnated in New Zealand and badly wanted to be free from it and so this life event of the poet itself justifies the title of the poem I'm Older than You,Please Listen.