William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73” is one of his easiest to read and, simultaneously, one of his most interesting poems. It covers several themes but the main theme is of aging, and the passing of time. The unhappy speaker muses about his impeding old age, and how this reminds him about the importance of love. Shakespeare uses many literary and stylistic devices to convey and enhance this theme. As the title suggests, the poem is in Shakespearian sonnet form, with fourteen lines and a rhyming scheme. The speaker and setting are inextricably linked and are central to the poem. Furthermore, symbolism and metaphor are key elements of “Sonnet 73,” in particular the poet’s use of the seasons and time of day. This Shakespearian sonnet uses its speaker, setting, and symbolism to convey the theme of aging, and the connection between the passing of time and love.
“Sonnet 73’s” theme of the passing of time is apparent from the opening line: “That time of year thou mayst in me behold” (Shakespeare 1). The following two lines suggest that the speaker is unhappy about the passing of time: “When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang / Upon those boughs which shake against the cold” (Shakespeare 2-3). “Sonnet 73” highlights the separation of time into past, present, and future. The quatrains in this poem encompass these concepts of time. All three quatrains start in the present, but then show this current moment as a substandard side of a more prosperous past. For example, line 4 informs the reader that the speaker was youthful and vibrant: “Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang” (Shakespeare 4). The mentioned of the “sweet birds” seems to imply youth. Furthermore, each quatrain implies that the future will be very different again. The poem’s couplet only mentions the present and the future, but no past. “This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, / To love that well which thou must leave ere long” (Shakespeare 13-14). As a pleasing concluding thought, the speaker seems to have decided that although he is uncomfortable with the passing of time, it has made him remember to truly love and appreciate those in his life while they, and he, are still around.
The speaker of “Sonnet 73” is the key element of the poem and its theme. The opening quatrain depicts a speaker who seems emotionally low. He speaks of a tree with no leaves, which seems to be a metaphor showing how unhappy he is about his loss of youth. In the second quatrain, he seems similarly depressed. In particular, the Death imagery highlights his feelings of hopelessness: “Death's second self, that seals up all in rest” (Shakespeare 8). The speaker has very little hope at this point in the poem. The third quatrain shows a slight shift in the speaker’s mood. While he still seems hopeless, he sounds as if he has more purpose. This tone continues into the ending couplet. He is confident in his assertion that the listener will stay with him for as long as he is alive.
Setting
“Sonnet 73” is told from a very close perspective of the speaker and simply includes his thoughts on life and, predominantly, his aging. As the speaker doesn’t mention his surroundings or what time period he is living in, the poem doesn’t have an actual setting. Nevertheless, his thoughts and musings transport the reader to some places. In the first quatrain, the speaker’s imagery is of the countryside, mentioning a tree awaiting the onset of winter. In the second quatrain, the reader is taken to the countryside again, but is shown the horizon after the sunset. In the third quatrain, the speaker mentions inside a house, and in particular a dwindling fire in a hearth. The final two lines omit any kind of setting; this seems apt as it allows the reader to concentrate on the final message about the importance of human relationships.
The poem’s form fits well for its topic. A sonnet is a well-known poetry form that follows a strict pattern of iambic pentameter in fourteen lines, and a rhyme scheme. A Shakespearian sonnet is a sub-form of the universal sonnet, and has its own rules. The Shakespearian sonnet is generally split into four parts, including three quatrains and a concluding couplet. The rhyming scheme for this type of poem is: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. “Sonnet 73” follows this format exactly. The quatrains all contain different concepts but they all link to the poem’s central theme of growing older. The theme is demonstrated through metaphors in each quatrain. These are falling leaves, sundown, and diminishing fire, respectively. The couplet sidesteps slightly from its central theme, though it is still very much linked, and talks about love. As the sonnet is traditionally a form for love poetry, this makes even more sense. While Shakespeare sticks to the basic format of the sonnet, some lines show small deviations, for example: “This thou perceiv'st which makes thy love more strong” (Shakespeare 13). The opening foot is not an iamb: it is a trochee. The emphasis is on the word “this” which strongly points out the poem’s link between love and time.
“Sonnet 73” contains numerous examples of symbolism, which serve to highlight the poem’s themes. A major symbol is the seasons. The opening quatrain takes the seasons and uses them as a metaphor for growing old. Shakespeare relies on the conventional links of fall and death; in this way, the speaker appears to be a man in the latter section of middle age, soon to become elderly. This quatrain also contains dramatic imagery. Shakespeare makes use of various senses, for example, “yellow leaves” for sight, “cold” for touch and singing birds for hearing. As sonnets are only fourteen lines long, metaphor serves them well in incorporating images and their real life meanings. In this poem, the seasons are actually an extended metaphor, as it symbolizes the central theme of the poem, the speaker’s aging, and it leads on to many other smaller metaphors within the theme. For example, in line three, the speaker mentions tree branches, moving in the wind. The tree seems to symbolize both a tree and the speaker himself, which makes this also an instance of personification. Also, the “cold” is a metaphor for becoming old, which further shows the extended metaphor. In addition to the seasons, the twilight is another important symbol, first featured in the second quatrain. Interestingly, the sun has already gone down but there is still light in the sky, rather than the darkness of night. This seems to be a clear metaphor for the speaker’s age. He is not old yet, but he feels it is nearby. However, the “black night” is mentioned in line 7, which is later compared to death, so the metaphor of the sunset, and the time of day generally, relate to the speaker’s time of life.
William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 73” makes use of speaker, setting, and symbolism to demonstrate its theme of the passing of time, and the relationship between aging and love. In this work, the speaker uses a variety of metaphors including the seasons and the time of day, to show his feelings towards his position in life. He seems to miss the vitality of his youth and is worried about the future. However, by the concluding couplet, the speaker resolves that love is even more important when nearing the end of life. The sonnet form matches the poem’s theme perfectly, in part because sonnets are traditionally love poems, and also because the form provides the opportunity, and often necessity, to combine complex ideas with metaphorical images. It is easy to understand why “Sonnet 73” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular poems, and why it will no doubt maintain its popularity for many years to come.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 73.” Poetry Foundation. 1609. Web. 1 Feb. 2017.
