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, Or if it bends and moves away when someone tries to take it away. Oh no, love is a constant and unchanging point That faces storms and is never shaken; It is the guiding star to every lost ship, Whose true value is unknown, although its height can be measured. Love isn't controlled by time, even though beauty fades Within the reach of time's scythe. Love doesn't change with the passing 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, nor has anyone 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 other 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, which Shakespeare argues is constant and unchanging, unaffected by time or circumstance.

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 is a profound exploration of the nature of true love. Shakespeare begins by asserting that true love is unwavering and does not admit any obstacles. It remains constant even when circumstances change or when someone attempts to disrupt it. He uses the metaphor of a 'fixed mark' and a 'star' to describe love's steadfastness, suggesting that it guides and remains unshaken by life's tempests. The sonnet also addresses the passage of time, asserting that true love is not subject to time's effects, even as physical beauty fades. The poem concludes with a bold claim: if Shakespeare's understanding of love is incorrect, then no one has ever truly loved. This sonnet is celebrated for its eloquent depiction of love as eternal and unchanging, a theme that resonates across time.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
impediments	obstacles	things that block or hinder progress	im-ped-i-ments
alters	changes	makes different or modifies	al-ters
remover	one who takes away	someone or something that removes	re-mov-er
tempests	storms	violent disturbances or storms	tem-pests
wand'ring	roaming	moving without a fixed course	wan-d'ring
bark	ship	a small sailing ship	baark
sickle	curved blade	a tool with a curved blade for cutting	sick-le
compass	range	the area or scope of something	com-pass
doom	end	final destiny or fate	doom
proved	shown to be true	demonstrated or verified	proved

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