The poem "Sonnet 116" follows the traditional structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, consisting of 14 lines with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG, which allows for a logical progression of ideas culminating in a final couplet that powerfully reaffirms the enduring nature of true love. This structured format emphasizes the speaker's argument about love's constancy amid change and challenges, reinforcing the poem's central message.
Sonnet 116by William ShakespeareLet me not to the marriage of true mindsAdmit impediments; love is not loveWhich alters when it alteration finds,Or bends with the remover to remove.O no, it is an ever-fixed markThat looks on tempests and is never shaken;It is the star to every wandering bark,Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeksWithin his bending sickle’s 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."Sonnet 116" by William ShakespeareQuestionUse the poem to answer the question.In 1–2 sentences, explain a conclusion that can be drawn about the poem based on its structure.
3 answers
The poem "Sonnet 116" is structured as a Shakespearean sonnet with 14 lines and a specific rhyme scheme, which helps organize the speaker's ideas about love. This clear structure highlights the main point that true love stays constant, even when faced with challenges.