Garrett's Informal Research Analysis for Sonnet 73

By: Unknown on 3:32 AM

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1. My study of some articles in the library database led me to this one, at http://www.jstor.org.erl.lib.byu.edu/stable/373789?origin=crossref&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents, which highlighted that there is some scholarly debating about the meaning of the poem in regards to time, with questions about whether time is passing in the poem, or if the images refer to the same period of time. It piqued my interest, and I'm still not entirely sure where I stand in my analysis, though I think I am more likely to agree that time is passing.

2. I found an interesting analysis of sonnet 73 at http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/73detail.html, which detailed that the poem was not necessarily about actual death, but rather the death of youth and youthful desires.

3. Searching the web I found this great image:

It made the first part of the poem more realistic for me, helping me remember all the leaves that grow stiff and old and covered with ice as winter comes in.

4. I did a social media experiment to see if anyone would respond to a comment about my sonnet. It did not succeed in sparking debate, but I was pleased to see that more people than I expected liked my post, which means they at least scanned it. My dad ended up replying, and his view was that the last two lines of the sonnet help it to really be more uplifting than not, which was not my original view (that of a sadder, more depressing tone throughout). It was helpful to get this second opinion.