In this sonnet, Shakespeare seems to be describing himself and his decline as he ages. In the beginning he discusses fall. We know that fall gives away to winter, and winter is synonymous with old age. Lines 7 and 8 discuss the decline in life that accompanies aging: “Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self that seals up all the rest”. The discussion of darkness and Death indicates a decline in life. It is important to note that Death is capitalized. This personification is very powerful. The last quatrain focuses on fire and the way it eventually dies out. The words seem to be describing a candle; line 12, in particular, stands out: “Consumed with that which it was nourished by”. A candle is such a paradox because its end is caused by what once kept it alive. Once the wicker is lit, it melts away into nothing, and by melting, it consumes itself. The last line of the sonnet is “To love that well which thou must leave ere long”. Shakespeare might be asking (or pleading to, rather) the young man to love him before he is gone. These later sonnets seem to focus more on the speaker’s feelings for the young man, rather than urging the young man to have children.
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