Sonnet 73

One of the staples of Shakespeare's poetry is his near genius ability to convey complex ideas effectively through the use of metaphors. The body of this poem is dedicated towards the common idea in Shakespeare's sonnet's of the fading nature of aging, as one's life approaches death. In this sonnet Shakespeare utilizes 3 metaphors in distinct sections of the poem. The first metaphor is dedicated to the idea of life as a progression of the seasons, and in particular it is a description of Shakespeare's position in life as autumn, inevitably approaching what one can assume to be winter and death. An interesting detail in this section is in the second line's description of the falling of leaves, as the division provided by the commas almost suggests the gradual falling of leaves. The second   metaphor is life in comparison to the day. Shakespeare describes himself in the declining segments of the day, or twilight. The third metaphor, the waning fire, is effective and startling, especially so when Shakespeare echoes the truth of how a fire dies due to its ashes, remnants of its "youth". The couplet sums up the metaphors' purpose as a cautionary work, urging the young man to appreciate being young, and realize that eventually his beauty will fade.