Shakespeare's Sonnet 73

Modern English

Old English

That time of year thou may'st in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see'st the twilight of such day,

As after sunset fadeth in the west,

Which by-and-by black night doth take away,

Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire

Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.

This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

In me you can see that time of year

When a few yellow leaves or none at all hang

On branches, shaking against the cold,

Bare ruins of church choirs where lately the sweet birds sang.

In me you can see only the dim light that remains

After the sun sets in the west,

which is soon extinguished by black night,

the image of death that envelops all in rest.

I am like a glowing ember

Lying on the dying flames of my youth,

as on the death bed where it must finally expire,

Consumed by that which once fed it.

This you sense, and it makes your love more determined

Causing you to love that which you must give up before long

Sonnet 73

Rhyme Scheme

This sonnet uses the rhyme scheme of "ABAB, CDCD, EE" to help emphasize the major themes.

Metaphors

behold

hang

cold,

sang.

day

west,

away,

rest.

fire

lie,

expire

by

strong

long

What is it talking about?

Major and Minor Themes

If read with the scheme, the story is told much darker till the end with the contrast of "strong" and "long" making the shift towards inspiration.

• The speaker compares himself to trees because trees change over time and lose their leaves and become old and brittle.
• The speaker also compares himself to twilight. He says that his youth fading away like the twilight's gradual darkening.
• The speaker also compares himself to death to show that his age is taking over his life.
• The speaker compares himself to fire to show that his youth is gone like ashes in a fire.

The Major Themes is Time, Death, and Love

The Minor Themes is the aging process, and the stages of life.

This sonnet tells the fate of time told by a mid age man who's growing old. The tale starts with late autumn as the old man reflects on his life and the inevitable, death. He realizes what he cherishes most is love.

What Type of Sonnet?

S.O.A.P.S.

Speaker: Old aged man

Occasion: Late Autumn

Audience: Himself

Purpose: To reflect time as death

Subject: Time, Death, and Love

It is a English or Shakespearian sonnet which consists of 3 quatrains of rhymes paired with a couplet. The lines also contain ten syllables.

Tone

The speaker sounds as if he was in depression but as he continues his tone becomes more confident

"As the death-bed whereon it must expire"

"This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,"

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 73

By Lawrence Hernandez and Sarai Figueroa