Sonnet 116 - Shakespeare

In sonnet 116, shakespeare is writing a poem about how love is everlasting. Two people coming together freely putting all their trust in one another and making each other happy. That love they have each other will never change no matter what the circumstances are. Love is so strong it can overcome any obstacle it goes through. It will last even when your loved one changes or dies, that love will still be there. It is more than just a little thing you think you could just push aside.

To start off, he opens up his sonnet by expressing his happiness in love and how constant and strong it is. How love will never “alter when when it alteration finds” as said in line 3. He describes love as something that is always there. In line 3, he explains that even if the other person becomes more distant, one who truly loves will remain the same. Whether you have it or not love is there, you’ll never be able to escape it. He uses the metaphor of it being “an ever fixed mark” like a lighthouse, providing stability and encouraging light. That stands firm and no matter what comes its way will always be there no matter what. In line 6, he continues on explaining how whatever it faces even though it may be something you thought would destroy it doesn’t. It will not be phased by anything that will try to take it down.

He then goes on using imagery by painting a mental image of a star, that never moves and guides you to the right direction. This star represents trust because in a relationship you have to completely trust each other and know that your love will stay constant. Then in the next line he expresses love as something that is priceless. That no one will ever be able to measure how much it is worth. In the next two lines, he implicitly says how true love sees beyond imperfections. As you grow old together and get all wrinkly you still see the true beauty in each other. In line 8 he uses personification by love itself being a “whose” or “his”.