Sonnet 18

William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, but few are as well-known and as frequently quoted as “Sonnet 18” (1609).

Literary critics have long held the belief that Shakespeare directed his collection of sonnets to three different entities: The Fair Youth, the Dark Lady, and a Rival Poet. The largest number, from “Sonnet 1” to “Sonnet 126”, seem to be directly speaking to the Fair Youth. Many believe that the Fair Youth was one of Shakespeare’s mentees. For more accomplished men to develop mentor relationships with younger men was normal in his time.

But let’s now look at one of Shakespeare’s most famous poems, “Sonnet 18,” and learn how Shakespeare was able to immortalize the subject of his poem in a mere fourteen lines.

“Sonnet 18” at a Glance

Summary of “Sonnet 18”

“Sonnet 18” contains four sections and is written in the classic Shakespearean or English sonnet form. It features iambic pentameter with ten syllables per line. Each line has a set of five stressed and unstressed syllables, called iambs. End rhyme is found throughout the poem, with the rhyme scheme being ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The last two lines, a couplet, rhyme with each other.

Lines 1-4

The sonnet begins with the famous rhetorical question, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”, which addresses the subject of the poem as if they are present. Immediately, the poetic voice responds by stating, “Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (line 4). The voice criticizes the summer for being too windy and too short.

Lines 5-8

Summer is not as lovely as the subject of the poem because the sun is sometimes too hot, sometimes too dim. In nature, everything beautiful declines, as is nature’s course, because it is always changing.

The sun is rising over a field and casting a golden light, pexels.

Lines 9-12

The turn, or volta, of the poem occurs in this response to the initial question. The poetic voice changes topic to the subject of the poem, saying, “But thy eternal summer shall not fade” (line 9) and, unlike the summer, will “not lose possession of that fair thou ow’st” (line 10). The qualities of the subject are so constant that not even death can take them away.

The concluding couplet

The concluding couplet of this fourteen-line sonnet immortalizes the subject by stating that as long as the poem and humans exist by seeing and breathing, the poem will give eternal life to the subject.

The Form of “Sonnet 18”

The form of “Sonnet 18” follows the standard formula and thus does not differ from other English or Shakespearean sonnets.

The poetic foot in “Sonnet 18”

An example of a poetic foot is found in line 1 of “Sonnet 18”: “SHALL I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The last two syllables in line 1 complete one poetic foot.

The meter of “Sonnet 18”

The meter throughout “Sonnet 18” stresses the second syllable of every foot. The bold portions indicate the stressed syllables in this example from line 1: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” This specific pattern of a weak syllable followed by a stressed syllable is called an iamb.

The rhyme scheme of “Sonnet 18”

Here is an example from the first four lines of “Sonnet 18”:

A field of flowers blowing in the wind, pexels.

Lines in “Sonnet 18”

For instance, line 5 of “Sonnet 18”, “Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,” is a complete line but not a complete sentence.

The Literary Devices of “Sonnet 18”

“Sonnet 18” contains several literary and poetic devices that make it effective and memorable. These devices enhance the overall meaning of the poem by adding depth, interest, and a connection with the reader.

Metaphor in “Sonnet 18”

Shakespeare uses metaphor in “Sonnet 18” as the basis of the poem. The opening question compares the subject of the poem to a day in summer.

Imagery in “Sonnet 18”

Shakespeare uses imagery in “Sonnet 18” to appeal to the reader’s senses and add dimension to the poem.

Personification in “Sonnet 18”

Shakespeare uses personification to make the comparison between a human being and a day in summer more relatable.

Hyperbole in “Sonnet 18”

Shakespeare uses hyperbole in the poem to show emphasis.

An example of hyperbole can be seen in line 5, as the subject of the poem has an “eternal summer” that will “never fade” (line 9). The hyperbolic statement helps strengthen the idea that the subject of the poem is constant and much more predictable and, therefore, more beautiful than summer.

Repetition in “Sonnet 18”

Shakespeare uses repetition in “Sonnet 18” for emphasis and to provide a strong conclusion.

The concluding couplet in “Sonnet 18” repeats “So long as” to emphasize that the subject will remain constant as long as the poem exists. The repetition also creates a parallel structure, emphasizing that both ideas are equally important.

Analysis of “Sonnet 18”

In this fourteen-line sonnet, Shakespeare establishes a comparison between the subject of the poem, the Fair Youth, and a warm summer day. Although these two may seem extremely different, the literary devices Shakespeare employs effectively develop the comparison. “Sonnet 18” effortlessly immortalizes the poem’s subject.

Lines 1-4

The first quatrain of “Sonnet 18” uses metaphor and apostrophe to ground the poem. The initial question, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (line 1), establishes the central purpose of the poem and directly addresses the subject. This question is the focus of the rest of the poem. Immediately, the audience understands that a day in summer will fall short when compared to the subject, who is more “lovely and temperate” (line 2) or more constant. After all, summer has “rough winds” (line 3) that destroy the beautiful “buds of May” (line 3) and is a season that is “too short” (line 4).

Lines 5-8

The second quatrain begins with a metaphor comparing the sun to “the eye of heaven” (line 5), which is too hot. The following personification of the sun in line 6, with his “gold complexion dimm’d,” proves the sun to be inconsistent in temperature and appearance. This description leaves the reader to infer that the poem’s subject remains consistent in demeanor, action, and appearance, unlike the summer sun, which fluctuates because of “nature’s changing course” (line 8).

Lines 9-12

The final quatrain of the poem begins the turn or volta. The word “But” in line 9 changes the subject from the sun to the Fair Youth. While summer days are ever-changing, the poem’s subject has an “eternal summer” (line 9) that will “not fade” (line 9). This hyperbolic statement emphasizes that the fair traits that the subject possesses are consistent and ever-lasting. Even death personified cannot “brag” (line 11) that he has cast a shadow on the wonderful traits that the poem’s subject maintains.

The concluding couplet

The repetition in the sonnet’s closing couplet, “So long as” (lines 13-14), provides a parallel structure to the poem, making it memorable and adding weight to the closing claim. As long as the poem lives, “this gives life” (line 14) to the subject of the poem.

The Theme of “Sonnet 18”

Using extended metaphor throughout the poem to compare the subject of the poem to a summer’s day, the speaker shows how constancy in action and traits are more important than physical characteristics. The core of a person will outlast even death and can be immortalized through the power of words. The concluding lines prove that as long as humankind can see (read) and breathe, the poem will live on. With each new reading, the subject of the poem lives on as well. Words have the power to give life again and again, just as nature is reborn each year through the cycle of the seasons.

The Meaning of “Sonnet 18”

“Sonnet 18” is about the respect and admiration the speaker has for the poem’s subject. The speaker sees the subject and all their remarkable traits as something that is constant and much more valuable than the characteristics of a day in summer. The summer winds, the hot sun, and the ever-changing nature pale to the “endless summer” of the subject (line 9) that is captured in the “eternal lines” (line 12) of the poem.