That time of year

"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"
"That time of year"
William Shakespeare


This poem is a sonnet, because it has 14 lines and it follows a certain rhyme scheme (abab, cdcd, efef, gg). There are three major images throughout this poem: a tree with dying autumn leaves hanging off of it, the twilight or nighttime, and a fire. The quote above provides imagery for the picture of the tree by stating that the leaves are "yellow" and that the tree may look rather dead because few leaves "do hang upon those boughs." The speaker provides a negative connotation to autumn, and views it as a time of death. The second image of darkness and night provides yet another image of death. He claims that night is "Death's second self," because the sun, which provides sunlight and helps things grow and live, disappears. The third image is a glowing fire. The fire represents death itself because it will eventually die out. The fire's flames are what keep it raging and continuing, and without them, it will burn out. I think this might be similar to how in life, we become older as time goes on, and eventually die when our time runs out. The last two lines are directed towards the speaker's lover and they mean to say that they must love one another before the fire goes out...before time escapes them and death comes upon them.