Question

in me thou seest the twilight of such day,
as after sunset fadeth in the west,
which by and by black night doth take away,
death’s second self that seals up all in rest.
—\sonnet 73,\
william shakespeare
read the second quatrain of \sonnet 73,\ and then answer the questions.
what is the best paraphrase of these lines?
what is the central idea of these lines?

Explanation:

For the paraphrase: Rewrite the sonnet lines in plain modern English, preserving the core meaning of the speaker comparing their aging to the fading twilight after sunset, which is overtaken by night (a metaphor for death's approach that brings rest).
For the central idea: Identify the core theme of the quatrain, which uses the imagery of twilight turning to night to represent the speaker's advancing age and the inevitability of death's approach.

Answer:

1. Best paraphrase: "In me you see the fading light of day, like the sun setting in the west, which is gradually swallowed up by dark night—night, which is death's companion, and which wraps everything in a final rest."
2. Central idea: The speaker uses the imagery of twilight fading into night to convey that they are growing old, and death (represented by night) is approaching, bringing an end to activity in stillness.