In-depth analysis of the poem Sonnet 73. This document consists of 4 resources compiled into one. All the important notes are labeled to make the summary as short as possible for easy learning.
Title: Sonnet 73
Summary: The speaker uses poetic devices to create imagery. The speaker tells the young person that he is nearing
the end of his life. The young person must love him even more, because he is dying.
Analysis:
Stanza 1: - I am in the autumn of my life.
1 That time of year thou mayst in me Thou – you | Mayest – may | Behold – see
behold That time of the year: He is in the autumn of his life(not dead
yet)
Indicates theme: the inevidability of physical decay.
2 When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do Meaning: The leaves are yellow and dropping from the tree.
hang Metaphor ‘yellow leaves do hang’: The days the speaker has
left to live is compared to the the falling leaves.
3 Upon those boughs which shake against Boughs – branches
the cold, Metaphor ‘boughs which shake’: His body is compared to the
shivering branches of the tree.
4 Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet Metaphor: ‘bare ruin’d choirs’: His body is compared to a
birds sang. crumbling cathedral. (magnificent/beautiful stripped/bare of life)
Choirs: Cathedrals, where choirs sing.
Sweet birds sang:
- The birds with the beautiful song have migrated and took the
life with them
- The birds can escpape/the speaker can’t
Stanza 2: My life is almost at the end of its day.
5 In me thou see'st the twilight of such day Twilight: Sunsets and light fades
Metaphor ‘twilight’: Compares the speaker's life to the fading
light of day, with darkness waiting.
6 As after sunset fadeth in the west, Fadeth - fades
Meaning: His own life is fading away.
7 Which by and by black night doth take Doth - does/will
away, By and by:The blackness of night eventually takes the light away.
Personification ‘take’: Death will take life like night will take day
Euphemism ‘black night’: Death
8 Death's second self, that seals up all in Personification: ‘second self’: Night is a reflection of death
rest. Sleeping – type of death
Personification ‘seals up all in rest’: night/death will come,
can’t be unsealed.
Stanza 3: My life is like a fire, almost burnt out.
9 In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire See'st – see
Meaning: There is still a glow of fire in him.
Metaphor ‘fire’: His youth is the wood of the fire that has become
the ash of old age.
10 That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, Doth - does/will
Metaphor ‘ashes of his youth’: His life is compared to the burnt-
out fire turned to ash. (his youth turned to old age)
Ashes: The last coals will burn anything that will keep it alive.
Youth: His youth has been burned to ash.
11 As the death-bed whereon it must expire, Whereon – where | Expire – die
Must: Death is inevitable.
Death-bed: Youth lies on the death-bed of old age and must die.
Irony: The very thing that gives life consumes itself.
12 Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd Consum'd - eaten up
by. Nourish'd: fed
- Literally: The fire was fed by its own wood
- Figuritively: The poet's life was nourished by his youth.
Meaning:
You cannot have old age without the youth on which it is built.
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