Life departed along with youth; it is merely a manner of speaking that I am still living.

In this poignant couplet, the poet reflects on the deep emptiness that follows the departure of youth. For him, 'life' was never just the mechanical act of breathing; it was the passion, intensity, and romantic spirit that only youth could bring. Now that those vibrant years have passed, mere survival feels like a hollow formality—he is alive only by definition, not in essence.