Shakespeare's Sonnet, Shall I Compare Thee To A Summers Day?
William Shakespeare’s sonnet, Shall I compare thee to a summers day? (sonnet 18), puts forth a display of love and affection for a lover that he held dearly in his life. Shakespeare, a well-known poet who acquired fame in England during the rule of Queen Elizabeth, gathered many people’s attention through the writing of plays which where depicted in theaters around London. In one of Shakespeare’s well-known plays, Romeo and Juliet, strong affection and love is shown between the main characters. This concept of love that Shakespeare displays in Romeo and Juliet is also shared in many of his poems, including Shall I compare thee to a summers day? (sonnet 18). With the use of rhyming, meter, figurative language, and tone, William Shakespeare’s, Shall I compare thee to a summers day (sonnet 18), conveys the theme of appreciation to his lover.
The sonnet attempts to make a comparison between the season of summer and a lover by presenting the idea that his lover is “more lovely [sic]” than the season itself. The way that Shakespeare shows the shortcomings of summer and then proceeds to claim his lover is free of these flaws, helps build on the idea that he is appreciative for having this person in his life. The sonnet consists of three quatrains, which have the rhyme scheme ababcdcdefef, each quatrain having its own main comparison, and then ending with a couplet
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