Question

sonnet 73
assigned by: morris smith
due: feb 6, 2026 11:59 pm
reading quiz
question 1
instructions
read the question carefully and select the best answer.
which of the following best summarizes the poem?
a. the narrator is reflecting on the end of summer and the arrival of winter.
b. the narrator is full of agony and fear at the thought of dying.
c. the narrator is a young lover who feels his youth fading as autumn comes on.
d. the narrator is an aging man who knows his death is imminent.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option based on Shakespeare's Sonnet 73. The sonnet uses seasonal and natural imagery (autumn, winter, dying embers) to reflect on aging and the approach of death. Option A focuses only on seasons, not the deeper theme of aging/death. Option B overemphasizes agony/fear; the tone is more reflective than anguished. Option C says a young lover, but the narrator is aging (e.g., "late autumn" of life). Option D matches: the narrator is aging, aware death is near, using imagery to convey this.

Answer:

D. The narrator is an aging man who knows his death is imminent.