Let me not to the marriage of true minds by William Shakespeare — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments; love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove. O no, it is an ever-fixèd mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wand'ring bark Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom: If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Translation (English)

Don't let me acknowledge any barriers to the union of true minds. Love isn't real love if it changes when it sees changes in the other person, Or if it bends away when the other person changes. Oh no, it's a permanent mark That stays steady even in storms; It's like a guiding star to every lost ship, Whose true value is unknown, even though its height can be measured. Love isn't controlled by time, even though rosy lips and cheeks Are within time's reach. Love doesn't change with time's short hours and weeks, But lasts until the end of time. If I'm wrong about this and it's proven, Then I've never written, and no man has ever loved.

About the Poet

William Shakespeare (Renaissance)

William Shakespeare (c. 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His works include 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and several poems.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Sonnet
When Written: 1609
Background: Sonnet 116 is part of Shakespeare's collection of 154 sonnets, which explore themes of love, beauty, politics, and mortality. This particular sonnet is a meditation on the nature of true love, emphasizing its constancy and unchanging nature despite the passage of time and external changes.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_116, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45106/sonnet-116-let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-minds, https://poets.org/poem/let-me-not-marriage-true-minds-sonnet-116

Detailed Explanation

Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare is a profound reflection on the nature of true love. The poet begins by asserting that true love is unwavering and does not admit any impediments. It remains constant despite changes in circumstances or the beloved. Shakespeare uses metaphors like 'an ever-fixèd mark' and 'the star to every wand'ring bark' to emphasize love's steadfastness and guiding nature. He argues that love is not subject to time's changes, even as physical beauty fades. The sonnet concludes with a bold assertion: if his understanding of love is incorrect, then he has never written, and no one has ever truly loved. This sonnet is celebrated for its eloquent depiction of love's unchanging and eternal qualities.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
impediments	obstacles	things that block or hinder progress	im-ped-i-ments
alters	changes	becomes different	al-ters
remover	one who takes away	someone or something that removes	re-mov-er
ever-fixèd	permanently fixed	always steady and unchanging	ev-er-fix-ed
tempests	storms	violent weather or turmoil	tem-pests
wand'ring	roaming	moving without a fixed course	wan-d'ring
bark	ship	a small sailing vessel	baark
sickle	curved blade	a tool with a curved blade used for cutting	sick-le
compass	range	scope or extent	com-pass
doom	end	final destruction or fate	doom

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