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.
What does the speaker’s tone tell us about his feelings for the lover he is addressing?
Explanation
Answer [B]: The speaker’s tone tells us he feels it is inevitable that his lover must leave him soon. He has listed several changes that are natural and cannot be controlled, like the changing of seasons, the change from day to night, and the dying of a fire. Since these are situations that simply change and cannot be stopped, he, the speaker, must and will die, and thus, his lover will have to leave him.
