Theme:      The 4 Elements
Content:    A development of the 4 elements theme from Sonnet 44 and their role in bringing together the author and subject and causing distress when they are separated.

• The other two clearly shows the author's conscious use of 2 of the elements in Sonnet 44 and that this sonnet is a development of that theme, here introducing air and fire.
• The author possesses all 4 elements: Earth (substance as distance), Water (tears), Air (thought) and Fire (desire), the latter two being with the subject when they are absent.
• The first 2 elements were described as slow in Sonnet 44; the latter 2 elements are here described as swift, in nature as well as in the speed with which they depart.

• Just as the subject has been described in other sonnets as being half of the one that the author and subject make, here the author is defined as the 4 elements, and is cut in half when the subject is absent and possessing two of those elements.
• The elements of fire and desire are termed as quicker than the heavier elements of earth and water.

• swift is used again to describe the 2 sprightly elements who are so swift that they are able to report back to the author on the subject's condition.
• The recurrency of the elements is reflected in recured, returned, recounting and literally in back again. This emphasises the present-absent nature of the elements stated in Q1.

• back again of Q3 is literally back again in the couplet but reversed by sending instead of coming..