Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18

Sonnet 18 is part of a large group of sonnets that Shakespeare wrote

addressing a man of great beauty. Shakespeare, in sonnet 18, uses
descriptions of nature, and the power and images that they imply,
and directly compares them to the power the young man possesses in
his youth, vigor, and promise. Shakespeare then finds that the beauty
and power of nature do not compare to the beauty and power of the
young man. He uses his poem as a way to provide the youth with an
eternal existence and subsequently makes it evident that
Shakespeare sees the young man as more than a human, he sees
him as a god.
In the first quatrain Shakespeare begins his comparison between the
young man and nature by comparing the young man to a summers
day. The image suggests illumination, brilliance, light, life, and all
things associated with the sun as the source of all these things.
Shakespeare feels the same way about the young man; he is in his
prime, in his glory, full of life and beautiful. He is idealized by
Shakespeare in this description. It is interesting to note that the first
line is in the form of a question. Shakespeare at this point, realizes
that hes made a mistake in his comparison. Thou art more lovely
and more temperate. (Line 2) He knows that his language and
comparison are inadequate in trying to express the way he feels. He
knows that comparing the youth to a summers day does not do
justice to the feelings he has for him. The youth is more perfect than
the beauty of a summers day. The man is more temperate--- he is
gentler, more constant, and more controlled. He is safely more reliant
than a summers day. Shakespeare questions the idea of the man
being as gorgeous as a summers day and then ups the ante by
saying the youth is more impressive. This is a great compliment and
establishes that the feelings that Shakespeare has for the young man
far transcend those of friendship or admiration. His feelings for the
youth are that of love.
The following lines offer explanations of why the comparison to a
summers day is not good enough. Shakespeare begins to show all of
summers imperfections, beginning with the example that rough
winds come in May and disturb the darling flowers. May is a time in
the year when the weather starts to warm up and flowers are in full
bloom--- the very beginning of summer. Shakespeare again uses a
force of nature when he speaks of the wind. The image suggested is
that of the hot wind of May coming and blowing petals off of the
beautiful flowers. In contrast, the wind may be a metaphor for
problems and obstacles in life and how the young man is not affected
by opposition--- that he cannot be shaken. Rough winds do shake
the darling buds of May... (3) The summer may have imperfections

but the youth, by Shakespeares belief, does not. This seems

contradictory, as the fact is that the youth is a human and all human
beings are imperfect. Shakespeare is happily blinded by his love. In
his eyes, the youth can do no wrong and he has no negative
attributes. Like any person in love, Shakespeare puts the youth on a
great pedestal. This again is an affirmation of the love that
Shakespeare feels for the man.
Shakespeare continues in his explanation of the inadequacy of
summer. It may be beautiful at times, but it is important to realize
that it only lasts for a period of time during the year--- And
summers lease hath all too short a date. (4). This comparison implies
that the youths beauty lasts all year long; there is no limit on it and
there is no time clock ticking to end it. The issue of time is one of
great importance in this poem. Shakespeare feels as though the
youth is not subject to time or age. Summers glory and beauty may
end, but the youths will not. His denial of the mortality of the youth
proves that he does not see him as human, but as something greater.
Shakespeare expresses that the sun shines too much some days and
it is too hot. Other days the suns face is hidden by clouds and it is
overcast. His personification of the sun lends a hand to comparison.
The sun is too hot, but the youth is, as before, temperate. The suns
golden complexion may be hidden by clouds but the youths beauty
and golden complexion are never hindered or hidden. There is great
power in the comparison of the youth to the sun. Shakespeare
believes that all the power the sun possesses, brilliance, heat, color,
blindness, and life are nothing compared to the power and perfection
of the young man. This belief again provides affirmation that like a
God, the young man is greater than the source of light and life on
earth.
And every fair from fair sometimes declines, By chance or natures
changing course untrimmed: (7-8) By saying that every fair from fair
declines, Shakespeare is saying that every beautiful thing, at some
point, grows less and less beautiful and that it reaches the point when
it can never be as beautiful as when it first came into being. All
beautiful things will fall from perfection. Like summer, beauty has a
time limit on it. This is not the case with the young man. His beauty
will never dim, nor wilt like the flowers in the wind, nor lessen, nor be
covered like the sun may be. He will always retain the state of
perfection. Absolute perfection is another quality that makes the
youth like a God.
The next line shows that beauty flails because of chance accidents or
by the fluctuation of natures course. This again ties in in to the idea
that a summers day is unpredictable and subject to change. This
again is not true for the youth. The youth is temperate and his
perfection is untouchable. He is steadfast and reliable. He is immune

from accidents or fluctuation. He is again, perfection.

At this point Shakespeare has finished explaining how summer is an
inadequate comparison to the youth and begins to explain his
promise to the youth. But thy eternal summer shall not fade The
eternal summer represents the eternity of the youths perfection. The
eternal summer wont ever fade and it will never lose its original
beauty. This again affirms that the youth is not subject to time. He is
immortal. He is God-like.
Shakespeare finally declares that the reason that the youth will
always be immortal and in perfect state is death has no power over
him. Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade... (11) Unlike
Deaths eventual victory over every living thing, it will not have any
affect on the youth. The reason for this being that the youth, in all his
glory, will always and forever be captured in Shakespeares verse and
because of these lines, the youth will remain immortal and will grow
as time grows.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and
this give life to thee. (13-14) This final part of Shakespeares
promise to the youth explains that as long as man inhabits the earth,
the verse will always exist, and because of the existence of the verse,
the youth will live on forever in the words. His image and beauty will
always be captured in time and because it is captured, he will remain
immortal. The verse gives the youth a means for immortality and
eternal existence because it transcends the time barrier. He is a god.
Through the intensity of the emotion of love that Shakespeare is able
to express in his writing it is proven that he viewed the youth as
godlike. He idealizes the young man by the description of his beauty.
His writing is motivated by the love that he feels for the youth. He
explains the youths perfection by comparing and contrasting the
youth to a summers day. He explains that a summers day is as
inadequate a comparison, as the language he uses is in his attempt
to express all he feels for the youth. Through the verse and his use of
symbolism and personification of aspects of nature, and of the youth,
Shakespeare is able to fully utilize this comparison by morphs the
youth into the endless summer, an ideal without flaw or
imperfection. He shows admiration and adoration for the youth by
denying the man have any faults. Shakespeare explains that the
youth, unlike summer, is immune to time and aging and and the
fading of beauty, and therefore makes him immortal. He provides
means for immortality and eternity though the verse he writes
because the youth will still exist on paper, even after the youth is no
longer part of the physical world. Shakespeare catapults the man into
a creature of perfection, beauty, endless youth, immortality, and
because of all these attributes, he is a god in his own right.