The Place 2 Be: Shakespeare's Sonnets

Critique of Sonnet 73

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS

Theme: Age
Content: Sad, but vivid, reflection of the author in the Autumn of his years. Poetic excellence.

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.

"I’m in the Autumn of my years where I feel the cold more".

The ‘Rule of 3’ is beautifully employed in line 2. One might expect the references to leaves to be listed in decreasing order of magnitude, i.e. leaves…few…none but he instead arranges the 3-item list to deliberately position few next to do for greater poetic effect.

Beautiful analogy of his limbs being the boughs of a tree in Autumn through which the cold wind howls replacing the birdsong of his Spring and Summer.

Parallel analogy of the leafless trees resembling the ruined churches of the Reformation where choirs used to sing.

This is an s-sonnet (like others are "f"-sonnets, "th"-sonnets, etc.). The letter s being used to soften the tone of the sonnet to match its sentiments.

In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.

"I’m in my twilight years, at the end of my day."

Analogy now shifts from a year to a day: him being in the twilight of his day, his sun is setting, black night personifying death is soon to envelope him and end his day/life.

Use of the letter s in quatrain 1 is further extended in this quatrain thereby further softening the tone, especially in line 8.

In me thou seest the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie
As the death-bed whereon it must expire,
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.

"I’m equivalent to the dying embers of a fire."

Analogy now shifts to an expiring fire, suffocated by the waste of the fuel that it once fed on

Nice counterpoint by rhyming fire with expire.

Softening effect of s continues.

Consumed with that which it was nourished by is the motto appearing under Christopher Marlowe's portrait.

This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

"You know I won’t be here much longer so treasure my final days."

Lovely final encouragement for his lover to make the most of what little time he has remaining, ending the sonnet on a more positive tone – like a song played in a minor key that ends with a Picardie third.