Sonnet 116

Question 1

Explain the theme of Platonic love in sonnet 116

Answer 1

1. Speaker is exploring the ‘marriage of true minds’, suggesting that he is elevating a spiritual, ideal and Platonic love above that which is attainable in the real world
   2.

Question 2

Describe the love in Sonnet 116

Answer 2

1. Love does not ‘alter when alteration finds’
2. Compares love to ‘an ever fixed mark’, a lighthouse or beacon which can guide him through the ‘tempest ‘of life
3. Love is the pole ‘star’ which never alters its position and guides ‘every wand’ring bark’ across the fm difficult sea or troubles. (Although physical beauty may fade, love can conquer time even death)
4. Final couplet suggests the truth of the speakers words as the poem is there to prove that he has ‘writ’