 The poem, which paints a rather sad picture of a decrepit woman's final days in care, has been quoted in various works written for and about the caring professions in order to highlight the importance of maintaining the dignity of the lives of elderly patients.It is also included in the Edexcel IGCSE English Literature poetry anthology.Several variants exist including, "A Nurse's Reply" , "Cranky Old Man" , and "Too Soon Old" by David L Griffith.