Question

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! The speaker in Sonnet VII by John Milton reflects on the occasion of his birthday. Judging from the image in these lines, how does the speaker view this occasion?

Answer 1

My judgement is that he feels like he's getting old and he doesnt have youthfulness anymore

Answer 2

The speaker feels cheated by time.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem's speaker does not feel happy with his birthday. He feels that he is aging and losing, losing his youth and strength. For this reason, he refers to Time as a thief. He is upset with Time cheating him and taking the youth away from him every day.