them. The word wise (in line 13) is used ironically. The world is not wise at all. The people of the world can never understand the depth and meaning of the love that existed between the speaker and the young man. The speaker not only hopes that the young man will not persist in his misery and sadness, but he also wants to save the young man from the ridicule of society. The majority of people in society can be cruel -- the speaker is implying -- and most would not understand what true love is.
The theme concerning the death of the speaker continues into "Sonnet 73." However, in this sonnet, the speaker dwells more on the present than on the future. In the final couplet, the speaker suggests that, in contemplating the eventual loss of their love that will come with the speaker's death, the love that they now share becomes "more strong." In other words, knowing that their love will eventually end, the speaker and the young man should treasure the time that they have with each other. They value the love they have for each other precisely because their time together is so short. The moment is rare and fleeting, but wonderful. Knowing this thereby increases the love they feel for one another.
"Sonnet 74" adds to the death theme by focusing on the elements of memory and soul. In this poem the speaker emphasizes the two parts of his existence: body and soul (or spirit). He notes that when he is dead, only a part of his being -- his body -
- is gone. The young man should not be sad over that. The body, after all, is just a meal for the worms (line