Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a
summer’s day?
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Critical Appreciation: Sonnet 18, one of William Shakespeare's most celebrated sonnets, is a
masterful exploration of the nature of beauty, the passage of time, and the power of art to
transcend mortality. Through a beautiful and intricate comparison between the beloved's beauty
and the beauty of a summer's day, Shakespeare crafts a poem that not only showcases his poetic
skill but also probes deeper questions about the human experience.
The sonnet begins with a question that sets the tone for the rest of the poem: "Shall I compare
thee to a summer's day?" This query is rhetorical, as Shakespeare immediately asserts that the
beloved is "more lovely and more temperate" than a summer's day. By making this comparison,
Shakespeare highlights the imperfections of summer, such as its intense heat ("Sometime too hot
the eye of heaven shines") and its brevity ("And summer's lease hath all too short a date"). These
imperfections serve to underscore the beloved's superior beauty, which is not subject to the same
fleeting nature as the seasons.
Shakespeare's use of metaphor and imagery adds depth and richness to the poem. He personifies
summer, giving it human-like qualities ("Too hot the eye of heaven shines"), which emphasizes
the idea that even the most beautiful things in life have their flaws. In contrast, the beloved's
beauty is depicted as constant and enduring, unaffected by the passage of time. This contrast
between the impermanence of summer's beauty and the timelessness of the beloved's beauty is a
central theme of the sonnet.
The poem's structure and rhyme scheme also contribute to its musical quality and reinforce its
themes. The sonnet follows the traditional Shakespearean sonnet structure, consisting of 14 lines
and a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This structure allows Shakespeare to develop
his ideas in a logical and cohesive manner, building towards the final couplet, which delivers a
powerful conclusion.
The final couplet, "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this and this gives
life to thee," is one of the most famous in all of Shakespeare's works. Here, Shakespeare makes a
bold claim about the power of art to confer immortality. He suggests that as long as the poem
itself is read and remembered, the beloved's beauty will live on, defying the ravages of time. This
idea is both a testament to the enduring power of art and a reflection of the human desire to
transcend mortality.
Through Sonnet 18, Shakespeare explores themes that are still relevant today. The poem's
meditation on the nature of beauty, the passage of time, and the power of art to transcend
mortality continues to resonate with readers. Shakespeare's masterful use of language, imagery,
and metaphor creates a poem that is both beautiful and profound, offering insights into the
human experience that are timeless and universal.
In conclusion, Sonnet 18 is a masterpiece of Shakespeare's poetic skill, exploring themes of
beauty, mortality, and the power of art in a way that continues to captivate readers. Through its
beautiful language, intricate metaphors, and powerful final couplet, the poem offers a profound
meditation on the human experience, reminding us of the enduring power of art to transcend time
and mortality.
