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 ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
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.
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 nourish’d by.
This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
Originally published in 1609 in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Public domain.
Analysis
“Sonnet 73” is one of Shakespeare’s most poignant meditations on aging, mortality, and love’s response to the approach of death. Written in the reflective voice characteristic of his later sonnets, it explores how awareness of decline deepens rather than diminishes affection. The sonnet’s imagery — autumn, twilight, and dying fire — traces the slow fading of vitality while affirming the enduring power of love.
Summary of the Poem
The speaker invites the beloved to observe in him the signs of passing time. In the first quatrain, he likens himself to late autumn, when “yellow leaves, or none, or few” cling to bare trees — a vivid image of aging and loss. The “bare ruin’d choirs” suggest both the empty branches of winter and the desolate remains of once-vibrant human creations, like abandoned churches.
In the second quatrain, the imagery shifts to the day’s end: twilight giving way to night, “Death’s second self.” In the third, the metaphor becomes a dying fire, reduced to glowing embers that rest on the ashes of their youth — consuming themselves even as they fade.
The final couplet delivers the emotional resolution: the beloved’s awareness of the speaker’s mortality strengthens love itself — “To love that well which thou must leave ere long.”
Themes and Interpretation
Aging and Mortality
Each quatrain marks a stage of decline — from autumn to twilight to extinguishing flame — encapsulating the universal human passage toward death. The poem’s power lies in its serene acceptance: mortality is not resisted but observed with wisdom and humility.
Love Deepened by Transience
Rather than lamenting age, the sonnet reveals how love grows stronger in the face of loss. The beloved’s affection is heightened by the recognition that time is limited. Love becomes not possession but appreciation — the act of cherishing what must pass.
Spiritual Renewal
The imagery of “bare ruin’d choirs” and “ashes of his youth” evokes religious overtones of sacrifice, resurrection, and the soul’s endurance beyond decay. Though the body fades, love and spirit achieve a form of immortality.
Structure and Style
The sonnet follows the standard Shakespearean form: three quatrains and a concluding couplet (abab cdcd efef gg) in iambic pentameter. The structure mirrors the poem’s movement from external imagery (autumn) to inward reflection (the fading fire), culminating in emotional revelation.
The rhythm, soft and measured, conveys calm introspection. Shakespeare’s language is rich in metaphor but restrained in tone, allowing simplicity to carry profound weight. The repetition of “In me thou seest” reinforces the intimacy between speaker and beloved — a shared confrontation with mortality.
Tone and Voice
The tone is elegiac but tender, marked by acceptance rather than despair. The speaker’s calm recognition of his aging evokes both vulnerability and dignity. The beloved’s imagined response — love strengthened by awareness — transforms mortality into a source of meaning.
Legacy and Significance
“Sonnet 73” endures as one of the most moving reflections on time and love in the English language. Its images of autumn, evening, and fire have entered the collective imagination as symbols of aging and renewal. The sonnet’s quiet wisdom lies in its paradox: love’s deepest power is revealed not in eternal youth, but in the courage to love amid impermanence.