SONNET 73
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Presentation by Megan Lambert
Biography:
• Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April
of 1564
• Married Anne Hathaway on
November 28, 1582
• The next mention of Shakespeare in
history is when other London
playwrights mention him in jealousy.
• Through these “lost” 7 years,
Shakespeare had gone from a
normal, middle class man to a wellknown poet, actor, and playwright
in London.
Biography (cont’d.)
• When London theaters closed due to plague from January 1593 to
Spring 1594, Shakespeare turned to poetry.
• Became a charter member of Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a London
theater company.
• Produced a steady stream of quality plays from 1594 to 1599
• Entered a period of writing tragic works from approx. 1599 (the
writing of Hamlet) to 1608
• Turned again to more light-hearted works in 1608
• Died on April 23, 1616 due to unknown causes.
SHAKESPEARE’S
SONNETS :
• Probably written between 1592 and
1597
• Sonnets were popular at this time, &
Shakespeare could not work at the
theaters due to plague.
• May have been written to encourage
the Earl of Southampton to marry.
• Most of the sonnets were probably not
intended to be published.
• Seem to be addressed to a young male,
although only 25/154 of the sonnets
mention a male
• Published without Shakespeare’s
permission by Thomas Thorpe in 1609.
Sonnet 73:
• Part of a group of sonnets (71-74 and 81) dealing with death
• Uses late autumn, twilight, and the extinguishing embers of a fire
as metaphors for old age
• Seems to have come to accept the reality of death
• (“[…] the death bed whereon it must expire[…]”,
• “[…] thou must leave ere long.”
• Ties the sonnet back toward the younger male by saying he must
understand that the author’s life is finite, to make his love stronger.
• Wrote this work on death while in his late 20’s/ early 30’s
Works Cited
Gray, Terry A. Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet. Palomar Community College. 1995.
Web. 14 Feb 2012
“National Poetry Month: William Shakespeare.” edsitement.neh.gov/, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.
"Shake-Speare’s Sonnets." public.wsu.edu/. Washington State University, n.d. Web. 15 Feb.
2012.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on Shakespeare’s Sonnets.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes
LLC. 2002. Web. 18 Feb. 2012.
Unknown, The Cobbe Portrait of William Shakespeare. Ca. 1610, Cobbe Collection, Hatchlands
Park. nationaltrust.org.uk. Web. 18 February 2012.