more clearly. Whereas autumn denotes the coming of the end of a year, twilight signifies the end of a day, and this shortening of time reference from the first to the second metaphor alludes to the actual shortening of the old man's life. Death is also more dominant at this stage where the twilight is gradually being devoured by the "black night" (line 7), which is portrayed as "death's second self" (line 8). Not only is death directly mentioned at this point, but the description of night "seal[ing] up all in rest" (line 8) also helps to generate a sense of closure and ending of one's life. The third metaphor, fire, continues this progression. Here, the speaker attempts to evoke even greater pity for himself by associating himself to a self-consuming object. Although still "glowing" (line 9), the fire is nonetheless lying on "the ashes of his youth" (line 10) that is also its "deathbed whereon it must expire" (line 11). The ashes, which represent complete degeneration of one's youth and life, and the deathbed, which in
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