Sonnet 116

The poem progresses as an argument, responding to the universal question of love: how is it possible that love does not change when everything in nature changes? When all is subject to decay and destruction, how can love be said to exist forever? The proposition that love is unchanging and not conditioned by superficial appearance or varying circumstances is developed by viewing how love can survive under various pressures.

There is a tone of logical argument, with the introductory quatrain functioning as a rational deduction of love, stripped down to its barest essence. The poet speaks impersonally, even abstractly, about love. The language begins in an intricate and philosophical mood. The alliteration of the first line in the words “marriage” (Line 1) and “minds” (Line 1) establishes the importance of love as a deep connection. Shakespeare is attempting to avoid the artifices of his fellow love poets. This is a highly unusual portrait of love for its time, starting as a silhouette of love rather than an outpouring of affection for the poet’s muse.

There is a heavy repetition of negatives throughout: “not” appears twice in the first two lines; “no” on the fifth line; “not” on the ninth line; “not” on the eleventh line; and in the final line, “never,” “nor,” and “no” all appear.