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follows this same structure.
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. We also see this pattern in “Sonnet 73.” In this poem, the first and third lines of each quatrain rhyme together. The second and fourth lines rhyme together. For example, in the first quatrain, “behold” rhymes with “cold,” and “hang” rhymes with “sang.” The poem ends with a rhyming couplet where “strong” rhymes with “long.”
Shakespearean sonnets are generally written in iambic pentameter (“penta” means five). It means each line has five feet/iambs. Each foot has two syllables, accented (উচ্চারিত হয়) weak (unstressed) then strong (stressed). It creates a da-Dum rhythm. “Sonnet 73” is also written in iambic pentameter. Here is the very first line:
That time | of year | thou mayst | in me | behold
In a Shakespearean sonnet, the “problem” of the poem is often described in all three quatrains. The final two lines provide a resolution . We find this pattern in “Sonnet 73.” In this poem, each quatrain shows a new image to talk about aging and death. The couplet gives a final message or emotional resolution. Let us examine how Shakespeare developed his ideas using a sonnet form.
First Quatrain – The Image of Autumn: In the first quatrain, the poet compares himself to the season of late autumn. He says, autumn is the time—
“When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang.”
Autumn is the time when the leaves of trees turn yellow and fall. The empty branches shake in the cold. This image shows that the poet is in his old age. Just like a tree that has lost most of its leaves, the poet has lost his youth and strength.
Second Quatrain – The Image of Twilight: The second quatrain continues the idea. The poet compares himself to twilight. He says his beloved will see twilight in him.
“In me thou see’st the twilight…”
Twilight is the time just after sunset. A little light still remains. Night (death) will come soon. This image symbolizes that the poet’s life is coming to an end. Death will come soon.
Third Quatrain – The Image of the Dying Fire: The third quatrain shows the closest image of death. Here, the poet compares himself to a fire that is almost finished. The fire is burning weakly on its own ashes. He says his beloved will see a dying fire in him—
“That on the ashes of his youth doth lie.”
The fire represents the poet’s life. The fire will go out at any time. This means the poet is in the last stage of his life. He will die soon.
The Couplet – The Resolution: The poem does not end in sadness. In the couplet, Shakespeare provides a resolution. He says when his beloved sees old age and death in him, the beloved’s love for him becomes stronger.
“This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong.”
This is because the beloved knows that their time together is short. The awareness of death makes love stronger. So, this final resolution makes it a fine Shakespearean sonnet.
Hence, “Sonnet 73” is a beautiful Shakespearean sonnet. Shakespeare uses the structure of the poem expertly to develop his idea of aging, death, and love. The ending couplet provides a clear message: true love grows deeper when we have the awareness of death.
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