Themes: The Brevity of Youth and Beauty

The sonnet opens in praise of beauty, but it quickly transitions to somberly acknowledges its brevity—the shortness of summer, both literal and metaphorical. While comparing his beloved to “summer,” the speaker discusses youth, the period in which one’s beauty flourishes, and ponders the implications of its end. Just as the season, youth is far “too short” for his tastes, and he wonders if he can forestall the inevitable. Beautiful things, the...

Themes: The Immortality of Poetry

In the second half of the sonnet, the poet argues for the immortality of poetry. He frames this written form as a consolation for the brevity of youth and beauty. Although the physical beauty of his beloved is unlikely to endure, the beauty of his “summer” will be "eternal" because it will be committed to paper in words that ring out across centuries, recording his lovely appearance for readers yet to come. Indeed, the sonnet broaches the theme...

Themes: The Power of Love

Written in awe and admiration, “Sonnet 18” discusses the power of beauty—and the love it inspires in others—to evoke artistic works and creative efforts. The sonnet is largely focused on the speaker’s narration of his beloved’s beauty. The object of his affection surpasses even the finest summer day, a comparison that elevates the young man in question above the natural world and grants him an almost divine visage. Yet, as the speaker rightly...