Explication Essay: That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold

Poetry Explication Essay: That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold This sonnet is alluding to the way time affects us all, and compares the seasons of the year to different periods of our lives. The overall impression the narrator or listener is left with is that of an ominous, almost fearful view on time passing far too rapidly. To support this the use of imagery, simile, repetition, and the first person point of view is significant. The use of assonance and rhyme is less obvious but there nonetheless. As the theme of the poem evolves, the poetic devices always support the movement toward that which time always brings: death. The intended speaker for this poem is someone cynical, elderly, and fearful of approaching death. The emotion from the metaphorical comparison between seasons and a lifetime is deeply rooted in the emotion stemming from growing older. This leads to the conclusion that the speaker is most likely over the age of 60, already past the middle point of life and beginning to be concerned about how much time they have left. The deep and melancholy tones of this speaker are as much a part of the theme set by the author as the imagery and metaphors. …show more content…
Comparisons between the effects of nature on humanities creations and those of time on our lives is a potent tool in drawing in anyone who is a witness to this exquisite work. Perhaps the most apparent usage of simile combined with imagery is within the line “In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, / that on the ashes of his youth doth lie” (1609) in which Shakespeare compares the speaker’s current time in life with that of the ashes of a fading fire. This comparison is extremely potent, calling forth the memory of a fire burning bright and beating back the