Sonnet 73
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 01/10/2012 07:46 AM
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Sonnet 73 Journey Essay
A poem which deals with a journey is “SONNET 73” by William Shakespeare. In this poem Shakespeare uses imagery and different poetic techniques, such as similes, metaphors and word choice very effectively to compare the journey of death, to time.
Shakespeare deals with the notion that the coming of death is like a journey and as the journey must end so too must life. In the first quatrain Shakespeare uses the image of Autumn to compare to the idea of old age, and that as winter will eventually come after Autumn, so too will death after old age,
“That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang”
I find this quote effective as Shakespeare is comparing his life to the season of Autumn, saying that he is near the end of his life just as Autumn, an image for death, is before winter. In the second quatrain Shakespeare again uses imagery but this time in comparing the journey of death, to the end of the day,
“As after sunset fadeth in the west
Which by and by black night doth take away” .
I find this quote particularly effective as Shakespeare’s use of the metaphor “twilight” and his word choice of “sunset fadeth” are very effective as they give a clear image of that as the day is coming to an end so too is his life. In the third quatrain Shakespeare again uses imagery but this time in comparing the coming of death to the image of a fire,
“In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie”
I also find this quote effective as by him saying that the fire is now “ashes”, he is saying that his youth is now dead. Another quote which portrays the same feelings is,
“As the death-bed whereon it must expire”.
In this quote Shakespeare uses the image of fire to suggest that the person addressed can only see his old age now and not his youth when he was full of life just like the fire once was. I feel that Shakespeare uses imagery brilliantly throughout “Sonnet 73” in...
A poem which deals with a journey is “SONNET 73” by William Shakespeare. In this poem Shakespeare uses imagery and different poetic techniques, such as similes, metaphors and word choice very effectively to compare the journey of death, to time.
Shakespeare deals with the notion that the coming of death is like a journey and as the journey must end so too must life. In the first quatrain Shakespeare uses the image of Autumn to compare to the idea of old age, and that as winter will eventually come after Autumn, so too will death after old age,
“That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang”
I find this quote effective as Shakespeare is comparing his life to the season of Autumn, saying that he is near the end of his life just as Autumn, an image for death, is before winter. In the second quatrain Shakespeare again uses imagery but this time in comparing the journey of death, to the end of the day,
“As after sunset fadeth in the west
Which by and by black night doth take away” .
I find this quote particularly effective as Shakespeare’s use of the metaphor “twilight” and his word choice of “sunset fadeth” are very effective as they give a clear image of that as the day is coming to an end so too is his life. In the third quatrain Shakespeare again uses imagery but this time in comparing the coming of death to the image of a fire,
“In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie”
I also find this quote effective as by him saying that the fire is now “ashes”, he is saying that his youth is now dead. Another quote which portrays the same feelings is,
“As the death-bed whereon it must expire”.
In this quote Shakespeare uses the image of fire to suggest that the person addressed can only see his old age now and not his youth when he was full of life just like the fire once was. I feel that Shakespeare uses imagery brilliantly throughout “Sonnet 73” in...