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 accept 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 gives in when someone tries to take it away. Oh no, it's a permanent mark That faces storms and is never moved; It's the star that guides every wandering ship, Whose true value is unknown, even though its height can be measured. Love isn't tricked by time, even though rosy lips and cheeks Are within time's reach. Love doesn't change with short hours and weeks, But lasts until the end of time. If I'm wrong and this is proven, Then I've never written, and no man has ever truly loved.

About the Poet

William Shakespeare (Elizabethan Era)

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 resilience.

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

Detailed Explanation

Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare explores the theme of true love's unwavering nature. The poet begins by asserting that true love does not admit any obstacles. It remains constant and unchanging, even when the beloved changes or when external forces try to remove it. Shakespeare uses the metaphor of an 'ever-fixèd mark' and a guiding star to emphasize love's permanence and reliability. He argues that love is not subject to time's effects, such as aging, and does not alter with time's passage. The sonnet concludes with a bold statement: if the poet's understanding of love is wrong, then he has never written anything, and no one has ever truly loved. This sonnet is a powerful declaration of love's enduring and immutable nature, highlighting its strength and constancy against the trials of time and change.

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	awl-ters
remover	someone who takes away	a person or thing that removes	re-moo-ver
ever-fixèd	permanently fixed	unchanging and constant	ev-er-fik-sed
tempests	storms	violent weather events	tem-pests
wand'ring	wandering	moving without a fixed course	wan-der-ing
bark	ship	a small sailing vessel	bark
sickle	curved blade	a tool with a curved blade for cutting	sik-ul
compass	range	the area within which something can happen	kom-pass
doom	end	final destruction or death	doom

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