The Shakespearean Sonnet
Writteniniambicpentameter(-/-/-/-/-/)
Fourteenlines(3quatrainsandarhymedcouplet)
Rhymescheme(a-b-a-bc-d-c-de-f-e-fg-g)
Finalcoupletusedtosummarizetheprevious12linesorpresentasurpriseending.
Adifficultartformowingitsrestrictionsonlengthandmeter
Shakespeare'ssonnetswerefirstpublishedin1609
ProbablydedicatedtohispatrontheEarlofSouthampton
SONNET116
Letmenottothemarriageoftrueminds
Admitimpediments.Loveisnotlove
Whichalterswhenitalterationfinds,
Orbendswiththeremovertoremove:
O,no!itisanever-fixedmark,
Thatlooksontempestsandisnevershaken;
Itisthestartoeverywanderingbark,
Whoseworth'sunknown,althoughhisheightbetaken.
Love'snotTime'sfool,thoughrosylipsandcheeks
Withinhisbendingsickle'scompasscome;
Lovealtersnotwithhisbriefhoursandweeks,
Butbearsitouteventotheedgeofdoom.
Ifthisbeerroranduponmeproved,
Ineverwrit,nornomaneverloved.
SONNET116
Letmenottothemarriageoftrueminds
Admitimpediments.Loveisnotlove
Whichalterswhenitalterationfinds,
Orbendswiththeremovertoremove:
Ono!itisanever-fixedmark
Thatlooksontempestsandisnevershaken;
Itisthestartoeverywanderingbark,
Whoseworth'sunknown,althoughhisheight
betaken.
Love'snotTime'sfool,thoughrosylipsandcheeks
Withinhisbendingsickle'scompasscome:
Lovealtersnotwithhisbriefhoursandweeks,
Butbearsitouteventotheedgeofdoom.
Ifthisbeerroranduponmeproved,
Ineverwrit,nornomaneverloved.
PARAPHRASE
Letmenotdeclareanyreasonswhytwo
True-mindedpeopleshouldnotbemarried.Loveisnotlove
Whichchangeswhenitfindsachangeincircumstances,
Orbendsfromitsfirmstandevenwhenaloverisunfaithful:
Ohno!itisalighthouse
Thatseesstormsbutisnevershaken;
Loveistheguidingnorthstartoeverylostship,
Whosevaluecannotbecalculated,althoughits
altitudecanbemeasured.
LoveisnotatthemercyofTime,thoughphysicalbeauty
Comeswithinthecompassofhissickle.
Lovedoesnotalterwithhoursandweeks,
But,rather,itenduresuntilthelastdayoflife.
IfIamprovedwrongaboutthesethoughtsonlove
ThenIrecantallthatIhavewritten,andnomanhasever
[truly]loved.