Considering the kind of fame great past poets enjoy, why does the speaker say that time "worships language and forgives/everyone by whom it lives. ."?

The poet writting this extract, is refering to death of the great poet Yeats. He speaks in that passage about time. Time as "intolerant", that "worships lenguage and forgives everyone by whom it leaves". Time pardons other things, "cowardice, conceit" He is using irony to say that time actually did not pardon the great poet Yeats, neither other great poets.

Explanation:

Time as a metaphor of death is used here to express the irreversible aspect of death. He uses irony, this means death would come even to great poets. Time would forgive other things he says, like cowardice and conceit.

The author which is W.H Auden, talks about poets, even when this poet or poets were recongnize by their excellent work, time would come and would take their lives away.