In sonnet 116, the speaker says that between “true minds”, love is timeless and will never fade. By incorporating metaphors and rhyme, Shakespeare depicts the meaning of love as an “ever-fixèd mark” that withstands any storm and as a star that shines constantly through storms to guide lost ships. Everlasting and priceless, love shall remain until the “edge of doom”. With the rhyme scheme, Shakespeare uses it as an advantage by linking each rhyming couplet together. Each couplet shares the same idea and stands out because of that. The poet sounds uncertain in the last couplet, saying that if all he said is wrong, then he has in fact never truly loved another.
Shakespeare describes love as true, eternal and forever unchanging. Love itself does not exist if it is between impure minds. Being true, even when everything else changes, such as Judgement Day, and even when one of the two is unfaithful. If love stays even after a part of it falters, it’s not surprising if it can withstand the passage of time. As beautiful as it is, love is not like physical beauty which deteriorates with time. It does not come within reach of the “bending sickle” or curved sword. This represents the blade of a Grim Reaper which in turn symbolizes death. In other words, love can surpass even death and transcend graves. In his metaphors, love is depicted as a stable lighthouse and the North star, both a beacon of light and a symbol of hope to the dark storms and lost ships which can be depicted as those in turmoil or in despair.
The images are placed in a logical order. The poet starts saying that love is never altered and that it is a mark that is never shaken and that it shines like a star to guide many a lost and wandering ship. It will never swerve off course, and will keep going far longer than forever, even if it meets obstacles and doom.
The poet symbolizes love as a star, constant and bright, and the imagery is of a ship sailing and trying to find its way, guided by love.
