Analysis of 'Sonnet 116' by William Shakespeare

Summary

This video script offers a detailed analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, a poem that celebrates the enduring nature of true love. The speaker breaks down the sonnet into its quatrains, examining the metaphors of a lighthouse and a star to illustrate love's guidance and immeasurable worth. They discuss the sonnet's structure, rhyme scheme, and iambic pentameter, highlighting how these traditional elements reinforce the theme of love's constancy. The script concludes with an exploration of the final rhyming couplet, which underscores Shakespeare's certainty in the everlasting nature of genuine love.

Takeaways

• 📜 The poem discussed is Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, which is traditionally associated with love and is read in preparation for an English literature exam.
• 💍 The first quatrain introduces the concept of 'true love' and argues that there should be no impediments to it, drawing an allusion to Western wedding vows.
• 🔍 Shakespeare uses the word 'true' to emphasize the focus on genuine love, and employs words with the root 'alter' to stress the unchanging nature of real love.
• 🌟 The second quatrain uses metaphors of a lighthouse and a star to illustrate love's role as a constant guide and its immeasurable worth.
• 🕰 The third quatrain personifies love and time, asserting that love is not subject to time's passage and remains constant despite the physical changes that occur.
• 💔 The contrast is made between the fleeting nature of life and the enduring quality of love, which persists to the 'edge of doom,' suggesting beyond death.
• 📝 The final rhyming couplet serves as a bold assertion of the poet's certainty in the everlasting nature of true love, using a rhetorical device to underscore his conviction.
• 🎼 The sonnet follows a traditional structure of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, with iambic pentameter and a rhyming couplet, which reflects the theme of constancy.
• 📚 The structure and form of the sonnet are closely followed to emphasize the constancy of true love, with each quatrain focusing on a different aspect of love.
• 🏰 The final argument, or 'volta,' is the poet's declaration of certainty in his views on love, using hyperbole to express his unwavering belief.
• ❤️ The overarching theme of the sonnet is love, with sub-themes including the constancy, guidance, and everlasting nature of true love.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116?

The main theme of Sonnet 116 is the constancy and everlasting nature of true love.

What does Shakespeare imply by referring to 'the marriage of true minds'?

Shakespeare implies that if it is a true love, there should be no impediments or reasons why two people should not be together.

How does Shakespeare use the word 'true' in the first line to emphasize the poem's focus?

The use of 'true' in the first line highlights the poem's focus on genuine love, as opposed to superficial or temporary affections.

What is the significance of the word 'alters' and its root word 'alter' in the poem?

The repetition of 'alters' and its root word 'alter' emphasizes the constancy of true love, which does not change or bend with time or circumstances.

What metaphor does Shakespeare use to describe the unwavering nature of true love?

Shakespeare uses the metaphor of an 'ever-fixed mark', akin to a lighthouse, which remains steadfast despite tempests and provides guidance.

What is the significance of the 'star' metaphor in relation to love in Sonnet 116?

The 'star' metaphor signifies that love, like a star, provides guidance to those who are lost and has immeasurable worth, regardless of the passage of time.

How does Shakespeare contrast the endurance of love with the fleeting nature of physical beauty?

Shakespeare contrasts love's longevity with physical beauty's transience by stating that while rosy lips and cheeks may fade, love remains unchanged and enduring.

What does the final rhyming couplet in Sonnet 116 signify?

The final rhyming couplet signifies Shakespeare's certainty and conviction in the everlasting nature of true love, stating that if he is wrong, then he has never written nor loved.

What is the rhyme scheme of a traditional sonnet, as followed by Shakespeare in Sonnet 116?

The rhyme scheme of a traditional sonnet is ABABCDCDEFEFGG, with three quatrains and a final rhyming couplet.

How does the structure and form of Sonnet 116 reflect its theme of constancy?

The adherence to the traditional sonnet form, with its structured rhyme scheme and meter, mirrors the constancy of true love by providing a stable and unchanging framework.

What is the significance of the term 'doom' in the context of Sonnet 116?

In Sonnet 116, 'doom' could be interpreted as death or the end of one's life, emphasizing that true love endures even beyond the grave.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116

This paragraph provides an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 in preparation for an English literature exam. The sonnet's traditional form and theme of love are introduced, with a focus on the poem's structure and content. The speaker discusses the poem's opening lines, drawing a parallel to wedding vows and the concept of true love being unchanging and unyielding. Key words and phrases such as 'true,' 'alter,' and 'remover' are highlighted to emphasize the poem's message of love's constancy. Metaphors comparing love to a lighthouse and a star are used to illustrate love's guiding and immeasurable value. The paragraph concludes with an exploration of love's resistance to time and change, and the inevitable decay of physical beauty contrasted with the enduring nature of love.

05:02

🌟 The Timelessness and Certainty of Love in Sonnet 116

The second paragraph continues the analysis of Sonnet 116, focusing on the contrast between the brevity of life and the enduring nature of love. Shakespeare's use of personification is highlighted, where love and time are depicted as adversaries, with love emerging victorious. The sonnet's structure, adhering to traditional form with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, is discussed as a reflection of the poem's themes. Each quatrain is examined to reveal a different aspect of love: its constancy, its role as a guiding force, and its eternal nature. The paragraph concludes with an exploration of the final rhyming couplet, which serves as Shakespeare's confident assertion of the poem's themes. The traditional sonnet form is tied to the romantic view of love presented in the poem, reinforcing the idea of love as a timeless and unwavering force.

Keywords

💡Sonnet

A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific structure, traditionally written in iambic pentameter. In the video, the sonnet is the form Shakespeare uses to convey his message about love. The script mentions that sonnets are often associated with romantic love, which ties directly into the theme of the poem being discussed.

💡True Love

True love is a central theme in the video, referring to a deep, unwavering affection that does not change despite obstacles or time. The script emphasizes that in Shakespeare's sonnet, true love is portrayed as constant and unchanging, using phrases like 'love is not love which alters when it alteration finds' to illustrate this concept.

💡Constancy

Constancy in the context of the video refers to the unchanging nature of true love. The script explains that Shakespeare uses words like 'alters' and 'alteration' to stress that true love remains constant and does not waver, even in the face of adversity or time.

💡Metaphor

Metaphors are used extensively in the sonnet to describe love. The video script discusses two specific metaphors: love as an 'ever-fixed mark' like a lighthouse and as a 'star' guiding a ship. These metaphors serve to illustrate the unwavering and guiding nature of true love.

💡Lighthouse

The lighthouse metaphor in the script represents a steadfast and reliable source of guidance, much like true love should be. It is mentioned as an 'ever-fixed mark' that remains unshaken by tempests, symbolizing the strength and constancy of true love.

💡Star

In the script, a star is used as a metaphor for love, providing guidance to a 'wandering bark' or ship. This metaphor underscores the idea that love offers direction and has immeasurable worth, just as a star's value cannot be measured despite its observable height.

💡Personification

Personification is a literary device where human qualities are given to non-human entities. The script describes love being personified as if it is in a battle with time, asserting that love does not succumb to the passage of time but remains enduring.

💡Time

Time is presented as an adversary to love in the video. Shakespeare's sonnet argues that true love is not affected by time, as indicated by the lines 'love's not Time's fool' and 'bears it out even to the edge of doom,' suggesting that love transcends the limitations of time.

💡Physical Beauty

Physical beauty is contrasted with the enduring nature of love in the script. It is mentioned that physical beauty, represented by 'rosy lips and cheeks,' is subject to the passage of time, whereas true love remains unaffected and unchanging.

💡Rhyming Couplet

A rhyming couplet is a pair of lines that rhyme at the end of a stanza or poem. In the script, the final rhyming couplet in Shakespeare's sonnet serves as a powerful assertion of the poet's belief in the everlasting nature of true love, using the line 'If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ nor no man ever loved.'

💡Traditional Sonnet Form

The traditional sonnet form is a structured pattern followed in the poem discussed in the video. The script explains that the poem adheres to this form with its rhyme scheme (ababcdcdefefgg) and its division into three quatrains and a final couplet, which contributes to the theme of constancy and order in love.

Highlights

Introduction to Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 in preparation for the Edexcel GCSE English Literature exam.

Explanation of a sonnet as a traditional poem often based on love, symbolizing traditional or romantic love.

Reading the sonnet in quatrains to discuss each section's meaning.

Analysis of the first line's allusion to traditional Western wedding vows.

Emphasis on 'true love' and its significance in the poem's theme.

Use of words 'alters', 'alteration', and 'remover' to highlight the constancy of love.

Metaphor of love as an 'ever-fixed mark' like a lighthouse providing guidance.

Comparison of love's strength to withstand any 'tempests' or difficulties.

Love likened to a star guiding a 'wandering bark', emphasizing its immeasurable worth.

Personification of love and time in a battle, with love not being at the mercy of time.

Contrast between the transience of physical beauty and the enduring nature of love.

Final rhyming couplet as Shakespeare's assertion of the certainty of his views on love.

Traditional sonnet form with a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.

Iambic pentameter used in the sonnet, a traditional English form.

Structural analysis of the sonnet's three quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

Interpretation of the quatrains focusing on different aspects of love: constancy, guidance, and longevity.

The final argument as a 'vaulter', Shakespeare's certainty of the everlasting nature of true love.

The romantic view of love presented in the sonnet form.

Identification of the central theme as love, with sub-themes of constancy, guidance, and everlasting nature.

Transcripts

I'm going to read through Shakespeare's

sonnet one one six this is in

preparation for your edexcel GCSE

English literature exam paper one so I

won't spend too much time on the title a

sonnet is a traditional poem more than

more often than not based on love so you

could argue it is almost in itself a

symbol of traditional love or romantic

love which is very much which very much

links to the content of this poem so

it's one stanza I won't read the whole

stands are all at once I will read it in

quatrains so that's every four lines

I'll stop and talk about what I've read

I let me not to the marriage of true

minds admit impediments love is not love

which alters when in when it alteration

finds or bends with the remover to

remove so straight away we have an

allusion to traditional or typical

wedding vows a Western wedding anyway so

I've written here something typical that

you might say at a Western wedding if

either of you know any in word

impediment why you should not be

conjoined this is basically the moment

in a wedding where the priest or whoever

the minister is asking do you know a

reason why you shouldn't marry and

Shakespeare is arguing actually if it's

true love that doesn't have to be even a

question if there's true if it's true

love there is no reason why you

shouldn't be together so that shouldn't

even come up in true love and I haven't

really annotated this but the fact that

in the first line he uses the word true

just helps highlight the focus of this

poem which is about real love he also

uses pullip to turn I've just noticed

actually I've highlighted one word that

shouldn't be on there but alters and

alteration and remover to remove come

from the same root word that obviously

alter

so you could argue the use of her litter

turn emphasizes the constancy both route

words as well focus on change and so

obviously Shakespeare is trying to

highlight that love doesn't change it

doesn't go away and it can't be

manipulated if it is real love oh no it

is an ever-fixed mark that looks on

tempests and is never shaken it is the

star to every wandering bark whose

Worth's unknown although his height be

taken

and so first of all we have this

metaphor here an ever-fixed mark which

refers to a lighthouse what does a

lighthouse do it gives guidance to ships

at night so it is this ever-fixed mark

that provides guidance or direction to

someone in their life and obviously if

you are a lighthouse or lighthouse is

exposed to all kinds of terrible weather

and despite these terrible weather

weather conditions or tempest it is

never shaken so like a lighthouse

whatever difficult situation arises love

is not shaken it does not change it

doesn't become weak it is strong and it

remains and then another metaphor is

used it is likened love is likened to a

star which again provides guidance to a

wandering ship bark is another word for

ship so again just reiterating this idea

that love provides direction to to

others and like a star you can measure

the height but you will never be able to

measure its worth and soul of its value

is immeasurable which emphasizes just

how valuable it is love's not times fool

though rosy lips and cheeks within his

bending sickles compass

love alters not with his brief hours and

weeks but bears it out even to the edge

of doom so we have personification of

love and time here almost as if they are

fighting or in a battle of some kind and

it's and he's stating love is not at the

mercy of time it does not give in to

time it doesn't matter how much time has

gone by it withstands the pressure of

time and it remains and then

Shakespearean mentions how physical

beauty may go with time though rosy lips

and cheeks within his bending sickles

compass come so physical beauty may go

but love doesn't love stays then

Shakespeare uses contrast so he

highlights the shortness of life brief

hours and weeks

so the briefness of life is contrasted

with the longevity of love because love

bears it out it stays to the very edge

of doom doom could be death and edge

almost sounds like it goes beyond death

and it just and it remains and then we

finally have the this final rhyming

couplet if this be error and upon me

proved I never writ nor no man ever

loved so he's saying if I'm wrong and

I'm proven wrong well then I have never

written and I have never loved now

there's two things that Shakespeare

would be very certain off and that is he

has definitely written that's what he's

famous for and according to this poem II

must be very certain that he has loved

so that really just highlights his

certainty that he's saying if I can be

proven wrong then I've never written so

he takes something that is fact and and

does the quite the opposite to highlight

how certain he is that true love stays

true love lasts forever

so let's look at the structure and form

it is a traditional sonnet so it follows

the rhyme scheme a bee a bee

cdcd ef ef and then finally GG the

rhyming couplet at the end it is written

in iambic pentameter please have a look

at my other videos if you need to be

reminded of what this is and like a

traditional English sonnet it has three

quatrains

and a rhyming couplet I would argue that

all of this following the traditional

sonnet form so closely highlights the

constancy of true love it wouldn't be

enough just to talk about for instance

it has three quatrains and a rhyming

couplet you need to also talk about the

effect of that so I would argue that the

three pot trains focus on something

different about love so the first

quatrain I would argue focuses on the

constancy of love the fact that it

doesn't change and it never goes away I

would then say that the second quatrain

focuses on how love provides guidance

and is of great value and then finally

the third stanza really focuses on the

longevity of love how it really out

lives our lives and it lasts forever and

the final two the rhyming couplet at the

end is class as a vaulter which can be a

number of things in different sonnets

for this one it's really this final

final argument that Shakespeare presents

and his final argument is there is no

way I am wrong about this I am so

certain about love being this way that I

am prepared to say I've never written or

I've never loved if I'm proven wrong

that's how certain I am and please don't

forget as I mentioned with the title

because it is in the form of a sonnet I

would say that this is a romantic view

sonnets were typically used for kind of

a right to present a romantic type of

love and so it's definitely a romantic

view of love as well I haven't actually

written down themes

but I think it's quite obvious that the

theme is love you could go along with

the different focus or foci of each

quatrain the constancy of love love as a

form of guidance love as something that

lasts forever