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Sonnet 73 - William Shakespeare - Full Summary
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- 12th Grade
An easy-to-study summary of this poem for the exams.
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Sonnet 73 – William Shakespeare1
, Sonnet 73 – William Shakespeare
R Line analysis
1 Quatrain: -abab
st
The speaker compares his current state to Autumn.
The poet’s anticipation of his own decay: The poet speaks of the time when he will appear as pale and dry
as the world of nature in a cold, biting winter. He compares himself to the leafless, barren branches of the trees
that were erstwhile lovely and melodious.
Paraphrasing:
In me, you see Autumn,
The few yellow leaves hang on the branches, shaking against the cold,
Bare ruins of churches and all the animals are hibernating.
1 That time of year thou mayst in me behold “time”- he talks about time.
“Time of year”: That time of year-the wintry season.
The poet, perhaps, refers to the winter of 1592-93.
“Though mayst in me behold”:
Thou →the poet’s beloved friend.
Thou mayst…behold→The friend may perceive
(become aware) in the poet.
“Mayst” indicates a strong possibility
2 When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Assonance : “when yellow” draws attention to the
harshness of the winter.
When yellow… few - when there are a very few yellow
leaves or none at all.
Synecdoche: The phrase "yellow leaves, or none, or
few" uses synecdoche, where a part of something is
used to represent the whole. Here, the "yellow leaves"
represent the whole autumn season and the passing of
time.
Symbolism: The "yellow leaves" symbolize the aging
process and the fleeting nature of life. They also
symbolize the transition from vibrancy to decline, just
as leaves change colour and fall as they age.
Imagery: describing the scene of autumn and its
effects on nature. The imagery of "yellow leaves,"
"boughs," and "cold" evokes a sense of desolation and
change.
Metaphor: He compares himself to the tree by saying.
Shakespeare compares his aging self to the aging tree.
Just as the tree is losing its' leaves, Shakespeare could
be losing his hair. Just as the tree is getting brittle,
Shakespeare bones are getting old and feeble. Most
importantly, Shakespeare doesn't say that he is actually
going through this downfall, but that his friend perceives
it in him.
Yellow leaves-leaves grown Gray with age, under the
touch of time. The implication is also of the poet’s age.
The yellow leaves’ is indicative of old age.
Personification: The use of personification is seen in
the lines "When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
/ Upon those boughs which shake against the cold."
Here, the leaves and boughs are personified, as if they
have the ability to hang and shake against the cold, as
human actions.
2
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