In the first stanza, it's late fall or early winter, for we can see "yellow leaves, or none, or few," hanging on trees. Fall/winter is considered the time when someone dies. Shakespeare personified branches in "boughs which shake against the cold", since branches cannot feel cold. Leaves left branches, just as love leaving him. Him without love is like "Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang", lonely and miserable.
In the second stanza, "twilight" is when the sun goes down, which means death. Darkness of black night is described as the "second self" of death. When the darkness "takes away" the light, death takes over everything. He personified darkness here since it "takes away" something. When something takes away love from him, he will die and be sealed up "all in rest."
In the third stanza, "fire" represents the narrator's youth. If the fire is gone, his youth and life are gone. Fire burns and creates ashes at the same time, consuming its youth.
The last couplet is a turn. All the negative things of former stanzas are "which makes thy love more strong." Since you know that your love will end shortly, you can love even more intensely.
Comments
Post a Comment