What is the role of the beloved in the poem “Sonnet 73”?

In Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) “Sonnet 73”, the beloved plays a very important role. The poem is about aging. The speaker feels weak. He feels old. He feels close to death. But the beloved gives meaning to his life. The beloved gives strength, hope, and love.

First, the beloved sees the truth. The speaker says that the beloved can see his old age. The beloved sees the “yellow leaves.” The beloved sees the “twilight.” The beloved sees the “dying fire.” These images show age and weakness. Yet the beloved does not turn away. The beloved understands the speaker’s condition with care.

Second, the beloved gives emotional support. The speaker feels his life fading. But he feels comfort because the beloved still loves him. The beloved does not fear his aging. Instead, the beloved’s love becomes stronger. The poem says that the beloved loves more because time is short. This love gives the speaker peace. It gives him courage. It gives him value.

Third, the beloved creates meaning. The speaker thinks that aging teaches a lesson. When something will end soon, we love it more. The beloved teaches this truth through love. The beloved’s strong love makes the poet feel important. It changes sadness into deep feeling. It turns fear into calm. The beloved becomes the reason the speaker accepts old age with grace.

Finally, the beloved makes the poem hopeful. The speaker talks about death. But the poem does not end in fear. It ends in love. The beloved’s love gives light to the darkness. The beloved keeps the speaker alive in memory.

So, the beloved in the poem gives understanding, strength, meaning, and hope. The beloved turns aging into love. The beloved turns sadness into beauty.