Analyzing Love and Time in Shakespeare's Sonnets 18 and 116

This essay provides a comparative analysis of William Shakespeare's Sonnets 18 and 116, focusing on the portrayal of love, the impact of time, and the nature of relationships as depicted in the poems. The essay examines how Sonnet 18 presents love as eternal and unchanging, contrasting it with the fleeting nature of a summer's day, while Sonnet 116 defines love as an ideal, constant force. It explores the imagery used in both sonnets, such as the comparison of love to a star and the use of images related to time, decay, and eternity. The essay also considers the influence of the Elizabethan era on the poems, highlighting the importance of love and beauty during that period. Furthermore, the essay discusses how the poems reflect the poet's feelings and the societal views of the time, emphasizing the enduring relevance of Shakespeare's exploration of human relationships. The essay concludes by asserting the accuracy of the poet's portrayal of love and its ability to transcend the challenges of time.

Running head: ANALYSIS OF POEMS
Analysis of Poems
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1ANALYSIS OF POEMS
William Shakespeare was the name of an English poet who is held to be the greatest
writer in the English language. The relationship existing between a man and a woman has
been depicted in various ways by authors that helps in conveying the inner feelings of the
author. The Sonnet 18 of Shakespeare is “Shall I compare thee to a summers day” that was
one of the 154 sonnet that was written by the poet. The sonnet 116 that was written by
William Shakespeare talks about the deep relationship that exists between a man and a
woman. The poems argue that love acts as an important force that helps in guiding the
individuals in the society. This essay compares the relationship that exists between a man and
a woman in Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 116. The essay also discusses the effect of time on the
aspect of human relationships.
In Sonnet 18, the relationship between a man and a woman has been said to be more
permanent as compared to that of a summer’s day. It has been pointed out in the poem with
the help of following lines: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (Tweetspeakpoetry.com). A day of summer is
affected by the occasional winds along with the blistering heat but the love that exists
between a man and a woman can be said to be eternal. The love of the speaker can be said to
be eternal that would not change that would not undergo changes due to the onslaught of the
time. In Sonnet 116 of William Shakespeare the love that exists between a man and a woman
can be said to be ideal (Tweetspeakpoetry.com). The poet is saying in this poem that the
lovers enter into a relationship on the basis of trust along with understanding. The theme of
the Sonnet 116 can be said to be similar to Sonnet 18 as both the poems talk about the
constancy of love that does not alter with the changing currents of the time.
There are various images that have been used pertaining to the male and the female
relationships in Sonnet 18 and that of Sonnet 116. The images that have been used in the
Sonnet 18 pertains to time, decay along with eternity. The speaker has suggested that summer

2ANALYSIS OF POEMS
has been instrumental in taking out the lease on the weather that must be returned towards the
end of summer. The life of the beloved has been described by using the metaphor of summer
and the beauty of the beloved has been described by using the image of a commodity which
can be owned (Shrank, Cathy, and Raphael, pp 45). There are central images that has been
used in the Sonnet 116. Love has been compared to a star that helps the navigators in
determining location of the ships. It has been brought out with the help of the following lines
from the poem: “It is the star to every wand'ring bark” (Tweetspeakpoetry.com).
It shows that love is constant even amidst storms and cannot be shaken easily. The
image of love has been portrayed as resistant that is immune from the ravages of time.
Macabre image of that of Grim Reaper has been used in the poem that signifies the element
of death in the poem. Scythe-bearing figure of that of Death is held to be an icon in relation to
the European culture within the medieval period (Richardson, pp 90). The image of the death
is an integral part of the Western civilization and it has been used in the poem.
The picture that has been portrayed in relation to the relationship between a man and a
woman can be said to be accurate. The poet has been right in asserting that fair youth would
be able to live on with the help of poetry. The youth can be immortalized by taking recourse
to the help of literary works. This can be said to be normal as the people are remembered
either with the help of their works or in the event of being immortalized by someone else.
The picture that has been portrayed in Sonnet 116 can be said to be accurate as it elaborates
on the significance of love that can survive the onslaught of the turbulent times (Acim, pp
45). The poet has been right in asserting that the worth of love cannot be gauged accurately
that remains an elusive concept. The poet has rightly talked about how love can act as a
source of guidance that can help in regulating the life of a person.

3ANALYSIS OF POEMS
The time in which the poems were written have an effect on the kind of relationships
that existed in between a man and a woman. Love poetry was very widespread in the age of
Elizabeth and immense importance was laid on the concept of love in the age. The main
concerns of the poets of the Elizabethan Age were love, beauty along with friendship (Bryson
and Arpi, pp 78). Love formed an important part in the lives of the people of the Elizabethan
Age that was manifested in the numerous poems along with the novels that were written
around that time. The poems and the ballads of the Elizabethan Age spoke of the deep
relationship that existed between a man and a woman and celebrated the value of love. The
poets wrote the poems for conveying their idea about love in the poems (Rose, pp 90). The
personal style of the writing emerged in the Elizabethan Age and the poets made use of the
poems so that they could reveal their feelings about love to the beloved.
The relationship that exists in between man and woman have been portrayed in
various manners that conveys thoughts of the poet. Relationship between man and that of
woman was more permanent as compared to a day of summer. Occasional winds along with
heat have an effect on summer but the love existing between two individuals is eternal. The
images of time along with decay have been used in Sonnet 18 whereas love is compared to
stars in the poem that provides guidance to navigators. The poems that are written in a
particular period have an influence on the bond that exists between two people. The love
poetry was popular in the Elizabethan age and the concept of love was used as a subject by
many poets of the time.

4ANALYSIS OF POEMS
References
Acim, Rachid. "THE UNTRANSLATABILITY OF SHAKESPEARE’S POETRY ON
LOVE." Translation Studies10.10 (2018): 45-64.
Bryson, Michael, and Arpi Movsesian. Love and its Critics: From the Song of Songs to
Shakespeare and Milton’s Eden. Open Book Publishers, 2017.
Richardson, Donald. Venus and Adonis and the Rape of Lucrece: An Annotated Edition of the
Shakespeare Poems. AuthorHouse, 2019.
Rose, Mary Beth. The Expense of Spirit: Love and Sexuality in English Renaissance Drama.
Cornell University Press, 2018.
Shrank, Cathy, and Raphael Lyne. The complete poems of Shakespeare. Routledge, 2017.
Tweetspeakpoetry.com. "Top 10 Shakespeare Sonnets -". Tweetspeakpoetry.Com, 2019,
https://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/2015/06/25/top-ten-shakespeare-sonnets/.