Sonnet Structure and Development

Sonnet Form and Rhyme Scheme

Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 follows the traditional English sonnet structure:

• 14 lines total
• Three quatrains (4-line stanzas) followed by a couplet (2-line stanza)
• Rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

The poet uses this structure to develop his argument systematically, presenting different aspects of love's constancy in each quatrain before concluding with a powerful statement in the couplet.

Vocabulary: Iambic pentameter - A metrical pattern in poetry consisting of five iambs (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable) per line.

Metrical Pattern

The sonnet is composed primarily in iambic pentameter, with each line containing ten syllables. This rhythmic pattern mimics a heartbeat, subtly reinforcing the poem's theme of enduring love.

Example: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds" (line 1) demonstrates the iambic pentameter pattern.

Argument Development

Shakespeare structures his argument about love's nature across the sonnet's sections:

1. First quatrain: Defines what love is not
2. Second quatrain: Describes what love is using metaphors
3. Third quatrain: Explores love's relationship with time
4. Couplet: Concludes with a strong assertion of the poet's belief

This progression allows Shakespeare to build a comprehensive case for love's unchanging nature.

Imagery and Metaphors

Guiding Light Metaphor

In the second quatrain, Shakespeare compares love to an "ever-fixed mark" that serves as a guiding light:

Quote: "It is the star to every wandering bark, / Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken" (lines 7-8)

This metaphor portrays love as a constant, reliable force that guides one through life's journey, much like a lighthouse guides ships at sea.

Time and Love

The third quatrain explores the relationship between love and time:

Quote: "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks / Within his bending sickle's compass come" (lines 9-10)

Shakespeare argues that while physical beauty may fade with time, true love remains unaffected.

Definition: Time's fool - Something easily manipulated or destroyed by the passage of time.