Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 is a poem that explores the theme of aging and the passing of time. The speaker in the poem reflects on the changes that have occurred in their life as they have grown older, and the ways in which the world around them has also changed.
One of the central themes of the poem is the idea of mortality and the fleeting nature of life. The speaker compares their own life to a "death-bed" that is "desolate and bare" and reflects on the fact that they are approaching the end of their time on earth. This theme is underscored by the use of metaphor and imagery, such as the reference to the "death-bed" and the "death-dew" that is described as "gathering on the brow" of the speaker.
Another theme that is present in the poem is the idea of change and the way in which it can be both a source of comfort and a source of pain. The speaker reflects on the changes that they have witnessed in the world around them, and how these changes have affected their own sense of identity. At the same time, they also express a sense of longing for the past and a desire to hold onto the memories of the people and experiences that have shaped their life.
One of the most poignant moments in the poem comes when the speaker compares their own life to a "death-watch" that is "ticking out our time." This metaphor speaks to the idea that we are all bound by the passage of time, and that we are all eventually destined to face death. However, despite this inevitable end, the speaker remains hopeful and resilient, expressing a desire to continue living and experiencing the world even as their time on earth comes to an end.
Overall, Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 is a powerful meditation on the theme of aging and the passing of time. Through its exploration of mortality, change, and the enduring nature of human experience, the poem speaks to the universal experience of growing older and the way in which we all must come to terms with the impermanence of life.
What is the theme of Shakespeare's Sonnet 73?
This metaphor implies that the speaker's own death is imminent and inevitable, like the fire's extinction. He sadly imagines the time when he will cease to have his manly strength and power. For more on this dilemma please see the commentary below. Addressing sonnets to a young man was unique in Elizabethan England. She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die. His mood is of gloom and melancholy.
It consists of three quatrains and one couplet at the end, written in iambic pentameters. Yet despite the emotional and physical pain, like the speaker, we continue falling in love. By dropping from a year, to a day, to the brief duration of a fire, Shakespeare is establishing empathy for our speaker through the lapse in time. The next day Adonis goes out for boar hunting even though Venus has had a vision of him being killed by a boar. In the final couplet, we realize that it's a love poem.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Cincinnati. Sonnet 73 Analysis In this sonnet, Shakespeare appears to express how such a real life occurrence envelopes the consciousness of an individual. Speaking about the effectiveness and the contribution of the figurative language to the poem, it should be stated that the process of grooving older represented by the seasons of the year has always been used by different authors. This is made more moving by implying a contrast with the liveliness of spring. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire I am like a glowing ember That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, Lying on the dying flame of my youth, As the death-bed whereon it must expire, As on the death bed where it must finally expire, Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by. His sense of depression seems to deepen.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953. The importance of figurative language cannot be overestimated. San Marino: Huntington Library, 1981. Most of these sonnets address the youth and beauty of his male friend, as well as. During those years, Shakespeare wrote most of his famous work.
These perspective looks at the poem outside of the context of the painting when the two exists symbiotically. Therefore I deprecate shake against the cold. The young man now understands the importance of his own youth, which he will be forced to 'leave ere long' 14. This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long. The Petrarchan sonnet, originally consisting of two quatrains and a couplet, was soon brought to England where William Shakespeare took an interest in this unknown form of poetry. Therefore, the author advises to fall in love as much as possible and to love when people have a chance.
Shakespeare Sonnet 73 theme, That time of year thou mayst in me behold
The couplet marks a total change in the tone. It seems that Shakespeare is distraught over things that he cannot control such as time, but throughout his sonnets he still tries to conquer time. Speaking about figurative analysis, it is important to check whether a poem has metaphors and other devices. Shakespeare writes, That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late, the sweet birds sang Shakespeare, n. The poem's first three quatrains mean more to the reader than the seemingly important summation of the final couplet. Stating that the winter is the final stage in the life of a person, Shakespeare strengthens his metaphor with calling the death night.
Later sonnets demonstrate the speaker, angry at being cuckolded, lashing out at the young man and accusing him of using his beauty to hide immoral acts. These symbolize inescapable approach of death. The ashes of the log only remain, when it is burnt out. All that he harps on is nothing but total despondency that time has brought upon him. Shakespeare's plays are known for their complexity and depth of character, as well as their poetic language and use of metaphor. Each quatrain has its own rhyme scheme, rhyming in alternating lines.
In the second quatrain, the speaker reflects on the passing of time and the fleeting nature of youth. Further, when shifted toward the next four lines, a shift in the overall thought process is being made by the author. Now, we get the final payoff of the poem. Moreover, the lyrical voice compares his aging process to nature, and, particularly, to autumn. Shakespeare states that people have to live when they have an opportunity; people have to understand that life is not that long and it may be too late to enjoy this light feeling. The Complete Sonnets and Poems. In the third quatrain, the speaker compares himself to a fire that is burning out.
Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 And 18: The Themes Of Love And Death
In a sense, the speaker is still in denial that death is final. But now out of his youth has come the decadence of his age. This view on aging is interconnected with the inverse introduction of each symbol within the poem. The first quatrain compares human aging to the season of autumn. However, the bareness of death is established partially in this quatrain, and the author further narrates it in quatrain three.
