Skip to content
Storgy

The Annotated Edition

Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold by William Shakespeare

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

Read aloud in ~1 minOpen reading mode →

Shakespeare is speaking to a loved one, expressing: look at me, I'm growing old — like autumn leaves falling from a tree, like the final flicker of a fire before it fades.

Poet
William Shakespeare
Composed
1609 · Renaissance
Core theme
Love
The PoemFull text

Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold

William Shakespeare, 1609

That time of year thou mayst in me behold 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.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

Shakespeare is speaking to a loved one, expressing: look at me, I'm growing old — like autumn leaves falling from a tree, like the final flicker of a fire before it fades. The surprising twist is that his awareness of his limited time actually deepens the person's love for him, not diminishes it. It's a poem that reflects on aging and death but ultimately celebrates the strength of love.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. That time of year thou mayst in me behold / When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

    Editor's note

    Shakespeare begins with autumn reflecting his own old age. The uncertainty in "or none, or few" adds depth — it’s not just a tidy fall scene but something fragmented and nearly vanished. The "bare ruin'd choirs" in line 4 stands out as one of English poetry's most iconic images: the bare tree branches resemble the roofless stone choir lofts of monasteries that Henry VIII dissolved, now silent where monks once sang. This combines the idea of natural decay with human and religious loss simultaneously.

  2. In me thou see'st the twilight of such day / As after sunset fadeth in the west;

    Editor's note

    The second metaphor changes focus from the entire year to just one day. Twilight represents that fleeting period after the sun has set — not the actual sunset, but the soft glow that lingers afterward. "Black night" is referred to as "Death's second self," suggesting that sleep is a practice run for death. Each night, we slip into unconsciousness, and Shakespeare conveys that his life is at that precise moment, teetering on the edge before the ultimate darkness envelops him.

  3. In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire, / That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

    Editor's note

    The third metaphor focuses closely — shifting from an entire season, to a single day, to the final flickers of one fire. The fire rests on its own ashes, remnants of the wood that previously fueled it. The harsh irony Shakespeare points out is that the very substance that brought the fire to life (the fuel) is now extinguishing it (the ash). This reflects how the body — once youthful and vigorous — ultimately becomes what tires out and leads to our demise.

  4. This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong, / To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.

    Editor's note

    The closing couplet shifts the entire meaning. Shakespeare tells the beloved: you *see* all this decline, and instead of pushing you away, it deepens your love. The idea is that scarcity makes things precious. Knowing you will soon lose someone leads you to hold them more tightly now. The final phrase "ere long" lands softly yet carries significant weight: the parting is approaching, and it’s not far off.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is reflective and personal—this is a serene, private confrontation with mortality, rather than a public outcry. There's no hint of self-pity. Shakespeare approaches his aging with a straightforwardness that suggests the beloved can clearly *see* it, rather than him confessing or whining about it. Beneath the sadness, there’s a warmth and tenderness, as the entire poem is directed to someone who loves him regardless.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Autumn / yellow leaves
The season of dying-back represents old age — the speaker's life is nearing its end, having lost much of its vitality.
Bare ruin'd choirs
Leafless branches evoke the roofless stone choir lofts of abandoned English monasteries — a striking blend of natural and human-made structures both falling silent and empty.
Twilight
The brief afterglow after sunset marks the speaker's final moments — not the sunset of life itself, but the softer light that comes right after.
Black night / Death's second self
Sleep is often seen as death's twin, a nightly practice for the lasting unconsciousness that awaits us.
Dying fire on its own ashes
The embers covered by the ash they produced symbolize how the body's aging process — the sum of a life experienced — ultimately snuffs out the vitality that once thrived within it.
The beloved's perception
The act of *seeing* the speaker's decline symbolizes true love — a love that faces mortality head-on and grows stronger because of it.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Meter
iambic pentameter
Rhyme
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

§07Historical context

Historical context

Shakespeare likely wrote his 154 sonnets during the 1590s, but they weren't published until 1609. Sonnet 73 is part of a longer series directed at a young man known as the "Fair Youth," and by this point, the speaker is very aware of the age difference between them. In late 16th-century England, the landscape was dotted with the remnants of abbeys, a result of the monasteries' dissolution under Henry VIII years earlier — this is likely what Shakespeare was referencing with "bare ruin'd choirs." The sonnet adheres to the traditional English (Shakespearean) structure: three quatrains, each presenting a different metaphor, followed by a final couplet that ties everything together. Each quatrain compresses time — from years to days to moments — building a growing sense of urgency before the couplet shifts to a more loving resolution.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

The poem speaks to the "Fair Youth," an unnamed young man who appears in the first 126 sonnets of Shakespeare's collection. While we can't say for sure who he is—possible candidates are Henry Wriothesley and William Herbert—the poem remains effective regardless. The relationship dynamic—an older speaker, a younger beloved, and the awareness of impending loss—is something everyone can relate to.

The study desk

Teaching materials and reference tools prepared for this poem.

Seminar guideSocratic · printable

Discussion questions for Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold

Open, analytical, and comparative questions for class discussion or a reading group — ready to print or project.

ReferenceMLA · APA · Chicago

Cite this poem

A properly formatted citation for your essay or bibliography, typeset by deterministic rules — no AI involved.

More by William Shakespeare

Browse all William Shakespeare poems →

Themes in this poem

Poems about LovePoems about MortalityPoems about NaturePoems about Time

Poetry tools

Analyze another poem →Rate your own poem →Check rhyme & meter →