Sonnet 116
Sonnet 116 is a popular poem written by William Shakespeare in the 16th century. It belongs to his collection of 154 sonnets, and it stands out as one of the most renowned love poems in all of English literature. The fourteen-line sonnet follows the traditional structure for this form, with three quatrains followed by a couplet at the end. In these lines, Shakespeare expresses his views on true love and its constancy, exploring how it can remain strong despite any obstacles or difficulties that may arise over time.
The main theme throughout Sonnet 116 is timelessness, specifically how true love transcends temporal boundaries and remains constant regardless of external circumstances, such as changeable weather conditions or social norms that come into play during different eras. To illustrate this point further, Shakespeare uses various images, such as stars and tides, which are both associated with eternity because they never cease to exist no matter what happens around them. He also compares true love to an "ever-fixed mark"-something solid that will not be moved even if everything else changes around it—showing just how resilient genuine affection between two people can be when faced with adversity.
By using poetic language along with vivid imagery throughout Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare conveys powerful messages about life's greatest emotion: unconditional love, which withstands all odds through good times and bad alike, until death does us part, making it one of literature's most celebrated works even centuries after its initial composition.