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The Eternal Power Of A Loving Bond Between Two People

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Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare comments on the eternal power of a loving bond between two people. The first quatrain begins with the argument for love’s constancy and stability despite the changes and unpredictable forces that rule human lives. In the second quatrain, the speaker continues to build his argument for the power of love comparing love to a beacon of safety and guidance. In the final quatrain, the speaker continues to build upon the strength of love when he moves to the subject of love’s power against time and death. The speaker ends the sonnet with a seemingly contradictory statement that his claims can only be untrue if no one has ever loved or he has never written. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 argues that love is superior to …show more content…

The repetition and alliteration of the phrases “alters when it alteration finds” and “bends with the remover to remove” emphasize the idea that love does not change in the face of changing circumstances (3-4). When love between two people is faced with change, whether it be in circumstances, appearance, or age, love stands its ground and remains strong. When external forces seek to remove love, love stays. In the second quatrain, the speaker continues to build upon his argument with the metaphor of the landmarks visible from sea and the North Star and an argumentative tone.. The speaker compares love to a stable fixture that is not shaken by external factors like weather: “O no, it is an ever-fixed mark, / That looks on tempests and is never shaken” (5-6). The metaphor comparing love to a beacon of safety in light of a powerful storm explains the ability for people to depend on love. It is as powerful as a landmark or lighthouse looking over the sea, and not moving despite the forces that move against it. A lighthouse serves as a beacon of safety and is visible from many vantage points, much like how love is often seen as an emotion that involves caring for others and keeping them from harm. Like a lighthouse visible from afar, love is also visible to and shared with those that may be close to a pair that share a loving bond. When the speaker begins the line with “O no,” it creates defensive tone that reflects the sonnet’s

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