Sonnet 116 Flashcards
What point does the speaker make clear from line 1?
True love always perseveres, despite any obstacles that may arise. Love is not changeable.
Why is the reference to the north star significant?
It never moves in the sky (love never changes) and guides lost ships home. This metaphorical star is mysterious and perhaps incomprehensible, even though we can chart its location, just like love can’t be explained but we can feel it.
In Line 5, why does he dramatically changes the tone with “O no!”?
To signal this shift from negative to positive, and immediately launch into an affirmation of love’s qualities. It is, as he says, an “ever-fixed mark”
What does line 6 - ‘that lookes on tempests and is never shaken’ emphasise?
A steady, solid quality of love, saying that it weathers storms (“tempests”) but is never disturbed.
How do the last two lines of Quatrain 3 sum up the point of the whole poem?
Love doesn’t change over time. It endures the passing of time, and lasts until “the edge of doom”.
What does Shakespeare argue about marriage in this poem?
He does not describe it as a religious sacrament or a legal procedure; instead, he emphasises a more idealistic, transcendent vision of it.
Back up this idea of marriage with the quote - ‘marriage of true mindes’.
This is a phrase that suggests a deep understanding between two equals, rather than a mere legal bond.
What was marriage like in Shakespeare’s time?
Men had complete control over women. The relationship this poem discusses does not conform to this conventional view of marriage. Focus on equality rather than obedience.
Why does the poet uses nautical imagery?
To construct the mental picture of love as a star leading all of us through life.
What are the “tempests” that threaten the seas a metaphor for?
The challenges that may plague a relationship, like arguments or infidelity.
What does the volta line “Love’s not Time’s fool…” suggest?
The image of love as a guiding star is suddenly replaced by a personification of love as an eternal, everlasting force that resists death, introducing the idea of the immortality of love.
What does the dramatic scene of tempests in the poem provide?
A visual metaphor for the poem’s interpretation of love as a guiding light above a troubled world.
Why is the quote ‘love is not love’ significant?
It shows us just how sure the poet is of his convictions and this series of three repetitions (remove, alter) after this line emphasise the negative definitions of love.
Why is the final couplet important for poetry itself?
By wagering his poems in this challenge, the poet also implies that literature is just as immortal and just as important as love.
