Thesis: William Shakespeare in “That Time of Year” metaphorically compares his fading youth with the time of year when the last leaf falls, when the sunsets and vanishes away, and finally as a fire that has consumed all that has fed its flame. I. Quatrain 1: A time of year. a. When the last leaf falls. b. Winter comes and the warmth is gone. II. Quatrain 2: Sunset. a. The day begins to end. b. Night comes. III. Quatrain 3: The fire. a. Resting on a bed of ashes. b. The flame is consumed. IV. Couplet: The lesson “To love that well which thou must leave ere long.”
Conclusion: Shakespeare presents the problem of diminishing youth, and likens it to the end of the year, then to the end of a day, and finally to a fire smoldering out. Each quatrain adds perspective in light of the other to bring about the right emotional response needed for Shakespeare to present his theme.

Shakespeare’s Metaphorical Comparison of Fading Youth in “That Time of Year” William Shakespeare in “That Time of Year” metaphorically compares his fading youth with the time of year when there are a few leaves left on the tree, when the sunsets and vanishes away, and finally as a fire that has consumed all that has fed its flame. He resolves the sonnet with a lesson in the end “To love that well which thou must leave ere long.” (14)
In the first quatrain, Shakespeare compares the fading of his youth to a particular time of year when there are a few leaves left on the tree. Metaphorically he is representing how life is like the seasons of a year. At birth, babies blossom like flowers blossom in the spring. In the warm glow of our youth, our passion shines like the sun in the summer. Then, as Shakespeare suggests, youth fades away like the leaves in the trees of autumn.
In the second quatrain, Shakespeare uses a sunset at the end of the day to compare how youth fades. Using a day instead of a year gives a shorter impression of how quick youth comes and goes. However, just as the year comes to an end, so does the day. Shakespeare makes a reference to nightfall as “Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.” (8) This verse hints to more than aging and losing youth, it is a more sinister metaphor that hints to our own mortality.
In the third quatrain, Shakespeare likens his fading youth to that of a fire that has almost consumed everything that has fed its flame. There is a sense of urgency in this verse, as a fire quickly burns up and is extinguished.
His metaphorical use of a flame on a bed of ashes is two part. The flame represents the flame of youth, and the bed of ashes represents death and decay. When the flame is put out, all that will be left is what has been consumed.
Shakespeare resolves the sonnet with a message to the boy he is writing to. Shakespeare can see that boy understands the point he is making about how the boy should love and hold fast to his youth as he states, “This thou perceives, which makes thy love more strong,” (13) and encourages the boy “To love that well which thou must leave ere long.” (14)
Shakespeare presents the problem of diminishing youth, and likens it to the end of the year, then to the end of a day, and finally to a fire smoldering out. Each quatrain adds perspective in light of the other to bring about the right emotional response needed for Shakespeare to present the problem and deliver an emotional resolve.

Works Cited
Mabillard, Amanda. An Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 73. Shakespeare Online. 2000. Web. 17 June 2013.
Shakespeare, William. “That Time of Year.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing (6th compact ed.). Ed. X.J. Kennedy. Longman, 2010. 787. Print.