Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116

【Abstract】 Shakespeare ‘s sonnet 116 is one of the most famous sonnet for its high praise for true love and it is also seen as an expression of Shakespeares love attitude. This article takes sonnet 116 as an example to show the theme of love through analyzing its form and content， and the figure of speeches in this sonnet.

【Key words】Shakespeare; sonnet 116; metaphor; ploce; personification; theme

【作者簡介】胡旭贞，南昌大学。

Shakespeares sonnet 116 can be read as Shakespeares manifestation of true love. Now lets take a detailed analysis of Shakespeares sonnet 116 in terms of form and content， figure of speeches so as to understand its theme better.

SONNET 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds，

Or bends with the remover to remove：

O no; it is an ever-fixed mark，

That looks on tempests， and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark，

Whose worths unknown， although his height be taken.

Loves not Times fool， though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickles compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks，

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved，

I never writ， nor no man ever loved

I.  Form and Content

In form ， it followed the English sonnet form with the rhyme scheme of abab， cdcd， efef， gg. “Minds” in line 1 rhymes with “finds” in line 3.“love ”in line 2 rhymes with“ remove” in line 4.“Mark” in line 5 rhymed with“ bark” in line 7.“Shaken” in line 6 rhymed with “taken” in line 8.“Cheeks” in line 9 rhymes with “weeks” in line 11.“Come” in line 10 rhymes with “doom” in line 12.And in the last couplets， “proved” rhymes with “loved”. They contribute to the melodic rhyme and the  expression of the content.

The first four lines reveal that true love is “the marriage of true minds.” Here， the  word “marriage” which means union and implies responsibilities and the word “impediments” means obstacles. It connotes responsibility in love and brave in face of obstacles. Thus ，it reflects his Christian attitude in love .Christ， the paradigm for both men and women ，redeemed humanity by suffering and dying on the cross. The Christian concept of passive heroism places a high value on the endurance， which in Shakespeares ethic is cognate with constancy and hence with truth.⑴ The followin lines proclaim that true love is indeed an ever-fixed mark” which will survive any crisis. In lines 7-8， the poet claims we cannot measure loves actual worth. Line 9-12 affirm the unshakable nature of love ，it remains so “even to the edge of doom”， or death. In the last couple， the poet uses 3 negative “never”“nor” and “no”， and thus making the poem read like an oath. （2）Denying and criticizing untrue love in the first place and then affirming love in the ending style in effect highlights Shakespeares love attitude.

II. Figure of speech

1. Metaphor

Metaphor is a comparison made between two different things. In the first line：“Let me not to the marriage of true minds ”. Here， the word “marriage” is used to describe the link of “true minds”. In the second quatrain， metaphor is used twice to show what is true love. Love is compared to an “ever-fixed mark” that“ looks on tempest”. Then ，true love is compared to “star”， which refers to the North Star. The North Star and the tempest are the natural phenomena in the universe. By comparing love to natural phenomena ，firm love is connected with the topology which is linked with the traditional cosmology.（3） By using metaphors， the importance of true love is obvious： true love is of inestimable value.

Time is compared to the “sickles compass” in the third quatrain. Sickle literally means a tool to harvest used by peasants ，but here， it means time. “Scythe” or “sickle” first appeared in Greek Mythology， it is a weapon used by God of Time Cronus.   Cronus used it castrate his father. Hence， scythe is the symbol of cruelty and gradually became the symbol of merciless time. Although“rosy lips and cheeks” cannot escape the magic of time ， cruelty of time shall never change the loyalty of lovers.

2. Ploce

Ploce is the repetition of words ，usually with the modification of the meaning. In the second line：“Admit impediments. Love is not  love”. Here ，the two love convey different meaning： the former means true love while the latter unreal love. In the poem ，the poet also uses the repetition of denying words throughout the poem as can be shown ：“let me not” in the first line and “love is not” in line 2 and line 11 twice and  in the last couplet “I never writ， nor no man ever loved”. These repetition of denying words seem random at first sight but deliberate and creative at close looking. The use of denying words simplifies the use of words and create a sense of beauty in repetition in this melodic rhyme. For example， “Loves not Times fool” through using the word “not” clearly states Shakespeares love attitude， that is， love shall never fooled by time. Similarly， the word “alter” and“ remove” are slightly different in form but has  almost the same meaning in this poem .This is the modification of word form. Through the change of the use of words， readers can remember two kinds of rotten love：“Which alters when it alteration finds， Or bends with the remover to remove”.（5）In effect ，the contrary to true love help readers understand the definition of true love better. True love would never alter or remove.

3. Personification

Personification means the attribution of human nature or character to animals， inanimate objects ，or abstract notions. By using this kind of figure of speech ，the poet can arouse readers imagination and make things alive. In line 6，the poet says love “looks on tempests and is never shaken”.“Looks on ”gives love the character of firmness and strength of a determined person. By using personification ，love is given the quality of a person. It is determined and resolute when faced with tempest. We can see the unchangeable and unshakable quality of true love.

III. Theme

In sonnet 116 ，we can see Shakespeares love attitude. Through these flickering and seeming true lines we can know the poet， just like us ，holds passion and worry in love. On one side ，he is in keen pursuit of the truthfulness， the goodness and the beauty in love. On the other side ，he is full of confusion in the betrayal， the cruelty of time and the paradox existing of temporary love and everlasting love.（6）Professor Luo Yiming， who explains  Shakespeares love attitude from the perspective of topology psychology ，puts forward “the love attitude in Shakespeares sonnet can be summarized as“ truth， fair and beauty.”Truth means loyal to each other in love， just as he wrote in sonnet 116：“Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments.”This line can almost be seen as the declaration of the poets love attitude. In sonnet 116，the poet pays praise to this noble， everlasting and sincere love.

IV. Conclusion

Shakespeare was born during the Renaissance， and he was the most important person during that period. His sonnets reflect humanism and praise for people. In face of the cruelty of scythe of time ，he encourages people to seek true love. This is the solution to resist the limits of time. His Sonnet 116 expresses the theme of eternal love and uniquely defines“true love”.In Shakespeares view， love is romantic ，joyful and irresistible and human beings should hold a positive and optimistic attitude towards love. Besides， Shakespeare argues the essence of“love”——the possessed should be“cherished”in his sonnet 116.

References：

[1]周彥渝.浅析莎士比亚十四行诗116首之爱情观.