Do you know about Sonnet 73 by Shakespeare?

 Sonnet 73 by William Shakespeare.


Introduction

  • William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He was born on 26th April 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
  • In the poem, Shakespeare invokes a series of metaphors to characterize the nature of what he perceives to be his old age.

Lets study the poem 

  • In the first quatrain,
        he tells the beloved that is age is like a "time of year", late autumn, when the leaves have almost completely fallen from the threes, and the weather has grown cold, and the birds have left their branches.
  • in the second quatrain,
        he then says that his age is like late twilight "as after sunset fadeth in the west", and the remaining light is slowly extinguished in the darkness, which the speaker likens to "death's second life"
  • in the third quatrain,
        the speaker compares himself to the glowing remnants of a fire. which lies "on the ashes of his youth"-- that is, on the ashes of the logs that once enabled to burn -- and which will soon be consumed "by that which it was nourished by" -- that is, it will be extinguished as it sinks into ashes, which its own burning created. 
  • in the couplet,
        the speaker tells the young man that he must perceive these things and that his love must be strengthen by the knowledge that he will soon be parted from the speaker, like the fire, is extinguished by time.


Themes

  • Death
            The natural imagery used in the poem develops the idea that death is 
unavoidable.
  • Cycle of life
            Heading towards the end of the life, the speaker portrays the cycle of love.
  • Love
            Considering man's mortality, he explores the theme of love that will stand despite old age. 
            

 Lit. devices

  • Alliteration 
            "Death's second self that seals up all in the rest"
  • Imagery
            Visual imageries
  • Symbolism 
            "Black night" / "Sunset fadeth" --> death
  • Consonance
            "which by- and - by black night doth take away"
  • Personification
             "Death's second self that seals up all in the rest"
  • Metaphor
  • Metonymy
             "Here ruin choirs" substitute the stripped branches.


I will talk about Sonnet 141 in my next article. 
Thank you !!
Location: Galle, Sri Lanka

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