Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare is also referred to as “That time of year thou mayst in me behold”. This poem is most likely written for a lover or a young friend, though the interpretation varies with the reader. Throughout sonnet 73, Shakespeare leads the reader through the loss of his youth and passion, ending with the loss of his life. It explores the toll that time takes on the body, one’s youth, and love. His goal is to show the one the poem is addressed to that time runs out and everyone dies eventually and that it is important to show affection for loved ones while they are alive. There are key elements that strongly contribute to the success of this poem. The rhythm, continuing metaphor, and personification throughout the poem make
…show more content…
The rhyme scheme is also one that is predictable of a Shakespearean sonnet: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This rhyme scheme is successful in such a way that is just enough to give the poem a natural flow but not distract the reader by a continuous rhyme that bounces back and forth from one line to another. Shakespeare also uses frequent alliteration to make the poem progress in a natural way. Examples of this are: “sweet birds sang” in line four, “by and by black night” in line seven, “second self, that seals” in line eight, and “love that well which thou must leave ere long” in line fourteen. These alliterations place emphasis on key points in the poem. The “sweet birds” contrast with the coldness of the words “bare ruin’d choirs” and help the reader see how much has changed throughout the passing of time. The most alliteration in one line occurs in line fourteen to stress the important message that he is trying to get across, which is to love others while they are still alive. This literary device, along with the rhyme scheme, not only make sonnet 73 easy to follow, but also contributes to the poem’s ongoing …show more content…
Shakespeare is comparing the journey to death to the passing of time. In the first quatrain, his current state is compared to a season. “When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang” show that this season is autumn, meaning that he is steadily getting older and losing his youth as do trees when their green leaves start to disappear. The second quatrain is comparing this progress toward death as moving from twilight to night. The migration from a season to merely a day shows the increasing rate at which old age begins to affect the mind and body. (Boulerice) The third quatrain is the one that solidifies the end and represents the true death that Shakespeare has been leading to. Here, he is compared to a fire that will soon be extinguished. By talking about both the “ashes of his youth” and his “death-bed”, he allows the reader to take the metaphor in two different ways, which is his literal death or the death of his youth. The final couplet lets the reader further increase his or her interpretation of the entire sonnet. By switching the subject to love, one could interpret that this “death” Shakespeare is talking about is not death at all, but actually the metaphorical death of his love for his lover. (Anderson) These variables allow readers to interpret this sonnet individually. Also, the personification of different
The rhyme scheme is also one that is predictable of a Shakespearean sonnet: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This rhyme scheme is successful in such a way that is just enough to give the poem a natural flow but not distract the reader by a continuous rhyme that bounces back and forth from one line to another. Shakespeare also uses frequent alliteration to make the poem progress in a natural way. Examples of this are: “sweet birds sang” in line four, “by and by black night” in line seven, “second self, that seals” in line eight, and “love that well which thou must leave ere long” in line fourteen. These alliterations place emphasis on key points in the poem. The “sweet birds” contrast with the coldness of the words “bare ruin’d choirs” and help the reader see how much has changed throughout the passing of time. The most alliteration in one line occurs in line fourteen to stress the important message that he is trying to get across, which is to love others while they are still alive. This literary device, along with the rhyme scheme, not only make sonnet 73 easy to follow, but also contributes to the poem’s ongoing …show more content…
Shakespeare is comparing the journey to death to the passing of time. In the first quatrain, his current state is compared to a season. “When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang” show that this season is autumn, meaning that he is steadily getting older and losing his youth as do trees when their green leaves start to disappear. The second quatrain is comparing this progress toward death as moving from twilight to night. The migration from a season to merely a day shows the increasing rate at which old age begins to affect the mind and body. (Boulerice) The third quatrain is the one that solidifies the end and represents the true death that Shakespeare has been leading to. Here, he is compared to a fire that will soon be extinguished. By talking about both the “ashes of his youth” and his “death-bed”, he allows the reader to take the metaphor in two different ways, which is his literal death or the death of his youth. The final couplet lets the reader further increase his or her interpretation of the entire sonnet. By switching the subject to love, one could interpret that this “death” Shakespeare is talking about is not death at all, but actually the metaphorical death of his love for his lover. (Anderson) These variables allow readers to interpret this sonnet individually. Also, the personification of different