Like many other sonnets by William Shakespeare, sonnet number 116 has no title of its own and is named after the first line: “Let me not to the marriage of true minds.” This sonnet rejects the theme of love, which is regularly encountered in the works of the author. In this poem, Shakespeare once again pays tribute to this bright feeling, praising the steadfastness and inflexibility of love. It is worth noting that, according to Shakespeare, true love does not fade under any circumstances and is, in fact, eternal. The purpose of this essay is to prove this thesis.
Without a doubt, many people understand love as a powerful feeling that embraces a person and makes them do great things. However, in modern realities, not everyone understands the meaning of true love as well as Shakespeare. For him, this feeling is truly the brightest thing in the world, compared to which even the stars pale. Although many people’s love is subject to change, the author of the sonnet rejects this possibility: “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds” (Shakespeare). No change can affect true love, even the most powerful and significant.
This is confirmed by other lines in which Shakespeare draws an analogy between love and the guiding star of the lost sailors, not extinguished even in the most violent storms (Shakespeare). Finally, the author notes that love is indeed an eternal concept. Even though time erases external factors, it can change the appearance of people, true love remains until the very end. It should be noted that Shakespeare associates this feeling with the unity of souls and not with a fascination with the appearance or any carnal desire. For the author, love is indeed an essential part of human life. He insists on this by giving concrete examples, analogies, and, finally, noting it directly through comparison with time (Shakespeare). Finally, the author concludes the sonnet with a categorical statement: if he is wrong, and someone can prove his mistake, then he renounces his words, and no one has ever really loved.
Thus, this sonnet is another praise of love as a pure feeling that guides a person through life. Shakespeare categorical defends this concept being even ready to renounce his poems. Like the points analyzed above, this detail confirms the thesis put forward that for Shakespeare, love is an eternal, strong and noble feeling.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. “Sonnet 116: Let Me Not to The Marriage of True Minds.” Poetry Foundation.