William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116

William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 is a literary masterpiece, written by perhaps the greatest writer in all of British History. In this sonnet, Shakespeare discusses love in its rawest and most powerful form. He describes its beauty, and its steadfast resilience in the face of even the most trying of circumstances.

            Shakespeare begins his sonnet by describing the marriage of “true minds” and proclaiming its credibility. Throughout the first stanza, love is described as a perfect union that shall never change its face in changing situations. “Love is not love
which alters when it alteration finds.” Shakespeare states that does not alter itself when life is altered. Next, he states that it is an “ever fixed mark.” This “ever fixed mark,” could possibly be a reference to Polaris, or the North Star, which does not change its point in the sky throughout the year. It is the only constant among all other observable stars. Also, in order to observe the sky, one must first look upward. In common society, the motion of “up” is often used to reflect a positive notion that ultimately leads to success, salvation, or satisfaction.

            As the sonnet progresses, Shakespeare does not present a conflict in typically lyrical style. Instead, he immediately jumps to an optimistic conclusion that allows the reader to infer what the conflict may have possibly been. “Love’s not Time’s fool,” proclaims Shakespeare. “Time” is personified to be an agent of finality, or ultimately, death. As Shakespeare writes of love’s freedom from “Time,” he infers that love is timeless, and has no end. Time also includes a beginning; however, love does not. If love is free from time, it must also be free from a beginning, just as it is free from an end. Shakespeare allows the reader to infer the possible conflict. In this case, the conflict itself is death. However, a solution is presented, as Shakespeare writes that love is a solution to death, for it overcomes the personification of “Time.”

            Shakespeare concludes his sonnet with the typical couplet that imposes a paradox. He writes, “If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” The “error” is referring to all above statements in the sonnet regarding love’s power and timelessness. Next, Shakespeare, states that if he is wrong in his proclamations, then he never wrote this sonnet. However, he has written the sonnet, and has just written about never writing the sonnet. This simple statement at the conclusion of his work adds emphasis to his passion of the subject. From this sonnet, one can logically infer that Shakespeare was a man who championed the act of marriage and devotion to a single other person in the action of love.

            William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 is perhaps one of is greatest and most well known sonnets. His competent use of metaphor and personification strengthens his arguments regarding the power of love. His use of Time as a personification of death, and a physical restraint creates an image that appears to place love above the confines of the physical realm.