Shakespeare's Sonnet 116
Examine the view that Shakespeare's sonnet 116 is what a love poem should be: an expression of perfect love.
The definition of perfect love is subjective, however it could be seen as fearless and endless love, with utter devotion and allowing nothing to get between the lovers. Sonnet 116 describes examples of these traits, in which love is described to be the most powerful force, and even stronger than "tempests" and other aspects of nature.
The initial lines of the sonnet describe how "love is not love" when it "alters" or changes due to changes in the people and the situation. This, along with the idea that it should not bend "with the remover to remove", casts an ideology that true - and perfect - love will not be changed by both external and internal factors, and if it is to change for any reason then is is not perfect. Furthermore, "bend with the remover to remove" implies that even after someone has left or people are separated, the love should stay strong until they are reunited. This could be used to imply death and meeting in heaven, or simply referring to lovers being separated for long periods of time. …show more content…
The line "It is a star to every wandering barke" fits this theme as it is referring to a star that guides the way, which could be seen as a metaphor for God. As well as this, the reference to doomsday ("doome") has religious context that shows how love will last until the very end. As a result of this, love is shown to be of religious importance and have connotations with God. This furthers the idea of perfect love as it has been chosen by God and should not be broken. "Marriage" is also shown to be an acceptance by God, however there is irony in the perfect nature of marriage as in the 16th century, many marriages would have been arranged and therefore would not fit the 'perfect' ideology that they are made out to
The definition of perfect love is subjective, however it could be seen as fearless and endless love, with utter devotion and allowing nothing to get between the lovers. Sonnet 116 describes examples of these traits, in which love is described to be the most powerful force, and even stronger than "tempests" and other aspects of nature.
The initial lines of the sonnet describe how "love is not love" when it "alters" or changes due to changes in the people and the situation. This, along with the idea that it should not bend "with the remover to remove", casts an ideology that true - and perfect - love will not be changed by both external and internal factors, and if it is to change for any reason then is is not perfect. Furthermore, "bend with the remover to remove" implies that even after someone has left or people are separated, the love should stay strong until they are reunited. This could be used to imply death and meeting in heaven, or simply referring to lovers being separated for long periods of time. …show more content…
The line "It is a star to every wandering barke" fits this theme as it is referring to a star that guides the way, which could be seen as a metaphor for God. As well as this, the reference to doomsday ("doome") has religious context that shows how love will last until the very end. As a result of this, love is shown to be of religious importance and have connotations with God. This furthers the idea of perfect love as it has been chosen by God and should not be broken. "Marriage" is also shown to be an acceptance by God, however there is irony in the perfect nature of marriage as in the 16th century, many marriages would have been arranged and therefore would not fit the 'perfect' ideology that they are made out to