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 see'st 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 see'st the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

Consum'd 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.

Many sonnets written by William Shakespeare deal with tragedy, love and death, in sonnet seventy-three he focuses on death along with the signs of aging. Whether or not he is the subject of the sonnet or an observer, he expresses everything as if he were the subject. Shakespeare was at an age in his life where he could relate to the sonnet, which made the poem so much more effective. The subject of this sonnet is being looked at, and the observer co

Another valid interpretation is offered by Mr. John S. Prince's writing in the Explicator on Shakespeare's Sonnet 73, "The sonnet's theme resembles, or rather anticipates, the theme of carpe diem." This is a fine insight into the sonnet. He backs it by interpreting the couplet at the end "This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long." To show that the speaker has come to terms with his undeniable death and now vows to make the most of what remains, as well as passing his knowledge to the naive youthful.

Some common words found in the essay are:
William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnet, Explicator Vol, yellow leaves, shakespeare's sonnet, aging death, onset aging death, shakespeare's sonnet 73, John Prince's, subject sonnet, onset aging, sonnet 73, York Longman, love thou leave, theme imagery wordplay, strong love thou, leave ere, seals rest, death expressed, death's self,
Approximate Word count = 1147
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)