Introduction

William Shakespeare's "‘Sonnet 116’," composed in the early 1590s and distributed in 1609, explores
the nature and strength of genuine love. The speaker states that love is unaffected by hardship or the
passage of time, emphasizing its stability and relentlessness. According to the speaker, to adore is to
remain unaltered by challenges and to serve as a guiding star for sailors. "‘Sonnet 116’ " embodies
the Shakespearean Sonnet form, comprising fourteen lines of rhyming pentameter with a specific
rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This structure includes three quatrains followed by a rhyming
couplet. The term "Sonnet" originates from the Italian "sonetto," meaning "a small sound or
melody." The Sonnet passionately defines what it means to cherish. Genuine love, for the speaker,
perseveres over time and through hardships, never changing. It is depicted as an unwavering force
unaffected by external changes or the ravages of time. Shakespeare's Sonnets are renowned for their
profound exploration of themes such as love, time, beauty, and mortality. "‘Sonnet 116’ " is
especially celebrated for its reflection on the unyielding nature of genuine love. This investigation
aims to delve into the poem's themes and structure to reveal the poet's intentions and timeless
message.Shakespeare's exploration of love continues to resonate, inviting readers to reflect on
universal experiences of love, commitment, and the passage of time, underscoring the timeless
nature of his work.

About the poet

William Shakespeare, born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, was a towering figure in English
literature, renowned as a playwright, poet, and actor. His legacy, spanning the Elizabethan and
Jacobean periods, includes 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, and 154 sonnets. At eighteen, he married
Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. Shakespeare's plays, preserved in the First Folio,
were collected posthumously by actors from his company. These works have transcended time and
culture, inspiring countless adaptations across various media. His enduring influence is evident in
global stage productions and film adaptations. Despite his professional success in London,
Shakespeare maintained ties to his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1597, he purchased New
Place, the borough's largest house. Shakespeare's wealth from his theatrical ventures allowed him to
invest in property and maintain connections with his roots. He passed away on April 23, 1616, at the
age of 52 and was laid to rest in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare's impact on
literature and theatre is immense, and his works continue to enchant audiences worldwide. His
contributions to the English language and dramatic arts cement his status as one of history's most
significant literary figures.

Structure + Theme
Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare, written in iambic pentameter like most of his sonnets, explores
the consistency and permanence of true love. The speaker argues that true love does not change
even if lovers alter over time. This sonnet presents the extreme ideal of romantic love, which never
changes, fades, outlasts death, and admits no flaw. The speaker insists that this ideal is the only love
that can be called "true." If love is mortal, changing, or impermanent, then no man ever loved.
Shakespeare used some of his most familiar themes in Sonnet 116, which are primarily time, love,
and the nature of relationships. In the fourteen lines of this sonnet, he delves into what true love is
and whether or not it’s real. He uses a metaphor to compare love to a star that’s always present and
never changes. He is so confident in this opinion that he asserts no man has ever loved before if he’s
wrong. He emphasizes that time knows no boundaries, and even if the people in the relationship
change, their love doesn’t.

The theme of the poem is developed by comparing the everlasting nature of true love to the sun and
North Star (Pole Star), which remains constant and guides the wandering ships in the uncharted
ocean. In the same way, true love also does not yield before the difficulties of life and guides lovers in
their lives. True love is permanent and fixed, like the sun and the pole star in the universe. According
to Shakespeare, time is a universal destroyer, which destroys everything but has no effect on true
love. Time can destroy the physical beauty of a person, finishing the rosy lips and cheeks of a lady,
but true love does not come in the range of time’s sickle. It does not change with time. The depth of
love, like the full worth and potentialities of the guiding star, can never be completely known. The
North Star and ideal love are both beyond human estimation. True love or spiritual love cannot be
affected by death, decay, and destruction caused by the passage of time. On the other hand, it
remains constant even till the dreadful judgment day! Finally, the poet makes a tall claim. He asserts
that if anybody can prove him wrong, he will admit that he is neither a poet nor has anybody ever
loved in this world. Therefore, it can be said that the theme of this sonnet has been beautifully and
effectively developed: true love is constant, immortal, and a source of guidance to lovers in life.
Sonnet 116 is a true Shakespearean sonnet, also referred to as an Elizabethan or English sonnet. This
type of sonnet contains fourteen lines, which are separated into three quatrains (four lines) and end
with a rhyming couplet (two lines).

ZThe rhyme scheme of this sonnet is abab cdcd efef gg. Like most of Shakespeare’s works, this
sonnet is written in iambic pentameter, which means each line consists of ten syllables, and within
those ten syllables, there are five pairs which are called iambs (one stressed syllable followed by an
unstressed syllable). Shakespeare makes use of several literary devices in Sonnet 116, including
alliteration, caesurae, and personification. Alliteration is concerned with the repetition of words that
begin with the same consonant sound. For example, "marriage" and "minds" are in the first line and
"remover" and "remove" are in the fourth line. Caesurae is used when the poet wants to create a
pause in the middle of a line. The "pause" might be marked with punctuation or intuited through the
metrical pattern. Personification is seen in the final sestet of the poem. Shakespeare personifies
"Time" and "Love," referring to them as forces that can change lives purposefully. Most end rhymes
are full except for lines 2 and 4: love/remove, 10 and 12: come/doom, and 13 and 14: proved/loved.
In Shakespeare's time, some of these words may have had the same pronunciation. The first twelve
lines build to a climax, asserting what love is by stating what it is not. The last two lines introduce us
to the first-person speaker, who suggests that if all the aforementioned 'proofs' concerning love are
invalid, then what's the point of his writing, and then no man has ever fallen in love? Iambic
pentameter predominates in the sonnet - ten syllables, five beats per line - but there are exceptions
in lines six, eight, and twelve, where an extra beat at the end softens the emphasis in the first two
and strengthens it in the latter.

Comparison
Endless Greatness and Interminability through Verse William Shakespeare`s Sonnet 18 centers on the
subject of brilliance and eternality. By highlighting the beloved's ‘‘unceasing summer‘‘ Shakespeare
emphasizes the thought that the beloved's magnificence isn't subject to the same characteristic
cycles of rot and alter that influence the physical world. Shakespeare's ‘Sonnet 116’ and Sonnet 18
both investigate topics of cherish and perseverance but they approach the subject from distinctive
viewpoints and with particular tones.

Sonnet 18 frequently called ‘‘Should I compare thee to a summer's day?‘‘ starts with a coordinated
comparison of the worshipped to the magnificence and short life of a summer day. The speaker
declares that the adored surpasses the transitory magnificence of summer, emphasizing the
unceasing nature of their excellence through the immortalizing control of verse. The tone is
respecting and celebratory centring on the flawlessness and consistency of the beloved's excellence
which is protected until the end of time inside the sonnet. While Sonnet 18 immortalizes the
beloved's excellence through verse giving them unceasing life ‘Sonnet 116’ centers on the inborn
qualities of cherish itself. In Sonnet 18 Shakespeare employments nature as a representation to
highlight the beloved's predominance. The beloved's excellence is more ‘‘dazzling‘‘ and ‘‘mild‘‘ than
a summer's day which can be defaced by ‘‘harsh winds‘‘ and the transitory nature of the season.‘‘ B

re-written sonnet
Title: "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran

In realms where candlelight yields to the dark,

Amidst the throngs where dancing hearts convene,

Two souls entwine as if struck by a spark,

In serenades where love's truest depths are seen.

With whispered words, a tale of passion's fire,

In every way and step, a symphony,

A rhythm weaving dreams of love's desire,

In melodies of the sweetest harmony.

A touch, a glance, ignites a fervent flame,

As bodies move in perfect symmetry,

Each note is a testament to love's bold claim,

In whispers soft, a lover's reverie.

Though time may fade and seasons swiftly pass,

Our love endures a dance that never lasts.

In a setting where darkness replaces candlelight, two souls connect deeply amidst a lively
crowd. Their love is revealed through whispered words and passionate tales, mirrored in their
synchronized dance. This dance becomes a symphony, each move and melody reflecting their
desires and harmonious bond. A mere touch or glance ignites their love, creating a fervent
flame. Despite the passage of time and changing seasons, their enduring love remains a
perpetual dance, symbolizing an everlasting connection.

Volta (Turn):

The volta happens within the third stanza, where the sonnet moves from depicting the prompt
association and physicality of the move to the more profound passionate suggestions and the
thought of love's perpetual quality. The movie centres more on the persevering nature of their
bond, proposing that their adore rises above the quick minute.

Even though time may blur and seasons quickly pass, Our adore perseveres, a move that
never lasts. Even though time may blur and seasons quickly escape, Our Adore remains a
perpetual song.
Conclusion
In this venture, we investigated the ageless subjects and perplexing structure of Shakespeare's
‘Sonnet 116’, while comparing it with another of his famous Sonnets. ‘Sonnet 116’,
frequently praised for its significant reflection on the nature of genuine cherish, attests that
adore is permanent and perpetual, in any case of the challenges it faces.

The sonnet's enduring structure, composed of three quatrains and a last couplet, mirrors the
faithful consistency of adore it celebrates. Through the utilisation of striking representations,
such as adore being an "ever-fixed stamp" and "the star to each meandering bark,"
Shakespeare strengthens the thought that genuine love remains undaunted and directing,
unaltered by time or outside circumstances. In differentiation, Sonnet 18, another celebrated
work by Shakespeare, offers a distinctive viewpoint on the topic of adore. Whereas ‘Sonnet
116’ centres on the steadiness of adore. The symbolism of an unceasing summer and the
rebellion of time's attacks show a more hopeful and celebratory tone compared to the
unfaltering and philosophical nature of ‘Sonnet 116’. This workout underscored the
persevering pertinence of Shakespearean topics and structures in modern craftsmanship. By
comparing ‘Sonnet 116’ with other Sonnets and reimagining a present-day tune inside a
Sonnet structure, we reaffirmed the persevering nature of cherish as a central topic in writing
and music over centuries. The work not as it were extended our appreciation for
Shakespeare's idyllic virtuoso but also lit up the proceeded reverberation of his bits of
knowledge into the human heart.