Buds and Blossoms
The speaker affirms, “But my late spring no bud or blossom shew’th.” The buds and blossoms epitomize indicators of manhood that have not displayed in the speaker’s body. The speaker is reconciling the physical look with his age and inner feelings.
Inward ripeness
The speaker states, “inward ripeness doth much less appear.” The ‘inward ripeness’ refers to intrinsic ripeness. The speaker’s inner maturity is exhibiting sluggishly. Therefore, the inner mellowness is incongruous with the speaker’s exterior.
Task-Master
Task-Master denotes God. The speaker is prepared to utilize his manhood to gratify the ‘task-master’s eye.’ Unquestionably, the speaker is devout.
Light and Darkness
The first two lines in Sonnet XIX read: “When I consider how my light is spent,/Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide.” Light signifies an operational sense of seeing whereas darkness designates unqualified blindness.
