That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou see'st 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.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,
Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
As a result of the metaphorical setting of the sun, turning of the leaves, and burning down of the fire, what must happen to the speaker and the person he is addressing?
Explanation
Answer [C]: As a result of the metaphorical setting of the sun, turning of the leaves, and burning down of the fire, the person the speaker is addressing my leave behind his love for the speaker. The speaker is, in fact, approaching the end of his life. While their love will be briefly stronger, at the end of the couplet, the speaker notes that the subject must “ere long” or before long leave.
