Student Question

How does Shakespeare characterize autumn in Sonnet 73?

Quick answer:

In "Sonnet 73," Shakespeare characterizes autumn as a metaphor for old age and impending death. He describes late autumn with few, withered leaves on the branches, the cold air, and the absence of birdsong, all symbolizing the approach of winter, or death. This imagery prepares the speaker's beloved for the speaker's twilight years and eventual departure, ultimately aiming to strengthen their love.

Expert Answers

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In the first quatrain of Sonnet 73, Shakespeare compares old age to late autumn. As we will shortly discover, this is a singularly apt comparison: for this is a time of year when there are few leaves hanging from the boughs. Even those still hanging are yellow, implying that they're old and withered and will soon die like all the others. The parallels with death are not hard to spot.

The naked boughs shake against the cold, no longer resounding to the "choir" of sweet birdsong. There is a distinct absence of life in the air as the cold of late autumn begins to bite deep into the landscape. The bareness of the branches, coupled with the freezing cold and the absence of birds, heightens the sense that winter cannot be far away. And winter, in this case, is a metaphor for the speaker's imminent death.

What the speaker is doing here, as well as elsewhere in the poem, is preparing his beloved for the fact that he is entering his twilight years and will soon have to leave him behind forever. Despite the air of gloom, however, the speaker is convinced that this knowledge will only strengthen the love of his beloved.

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