【Poem Reading Tuesday】Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds 
by William Shakespeare

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.

Source: SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS (1609)

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About the author
William Shakespeare | Poetry Foundation

About Sonnet
Sonnet | Poetry Foundation
Shakespearean sonnet | Poetry Foundation

【活动说明】
欣赏了诗歌之后，欢迎大家在跟帖里对诗歌进行点评，分享读后感。本活动主要是为大家提供一个阅读英文诗歌的窗口，以赏诗为主，不要求写诗。如果大家偶尔灵感闪现，有感而发地想要写写诗的话，大家可以尝试用相同的或者相关的诗歌标题，写出不一样的英文诗，在赏诗写诗的过程中自娱自乐。写出来的英文诗如果愿意分享的话，欢迎以主帖或者跟帖的方式分享。谢谢大家的关注和支持！

Let's get some learning from the fun and get some fun from the learning!

更多我的博客文章>>> 《Inconstancy: All things change》 《世事无常：万事皆变》 【Poem Reading Tuesday】Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare 《游子的云 Wanderer's Clouds》 【Poem Reading Tuesday】all the time I pray to Buddha by Kobayashi 《Dragon 龙》

Happy Tuesday! 欢迎大家在跟帖里对诗歌进行点评，分享读后感。

Happy Tuesday! 谢谢小西主持诗歌赏析活动。辛苦了！

谢谢分享莎翁十四行诗，我在数每一行诗的音节。：））

After many assertions, Bill bailed out with a disclaimer :-)

谢谢盈盈，my pleasure :)

盈盈是专家，我在这方面是外行，向盈盈学习。

Hahaha, after Shakespeare, everything changes :)

莎翁是（英）语言天才。We went to many of his plays in different cities.

Although I couldn't catch many of the words,

the sound of his words were like music to my ears.

在那个时候，才理解了“（非宗教）唱诗”的真正意思哈。

谢谢西岛分享个人体验和读后感言。

每行十个音节，但读完每行用的时间不一样(至少对我如此)。那节奏感是怎么表现出来的？

这方面我是外行，居士可以向盈盈请教 ：）

Thanks 小西 for sharing this beautiful Sonnet!

I might read it out loud and record it when I have time. :)

好像有三行有11个音节， 如果我没有数错的话 ：）

That looks on tempests and is never shaken

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken

But bears it out even to the edge of doom

谢谢虫虫分享！

Great! Looking forward to it!

谢谢小西分享！

莎翁这首读出来真有流水淙淙跳跃，余韵恒久不散的隽永感呢！厉害啊厉害！尤其是最后两句，好一个洞悉通透的小老头！

Timely rain！查了一下关于10或者11个音节：

In iambic pentameter, each line has ten syllables with alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. The pattern that emerges sounds like this: da-DUM. If an 11-syllable line in verse has one syllable as the first word, it can be discounted to make it a perfect iambic pentameter line.

谢谢小鱼儿活泼可爱，富有乐感的感言！

谢谢灵灵分享。

ChatGPT 的诗歌分析，供大家参考，详见里面：

ChatGPT Poem Analysis:

"Sonnet 116" by William Shakespeare is a classic Shakespearean sonnet that explores the timeless and steadfast nature of true love. Here's an analysis of the poem:

Theme of Love: The central theme of the poem is love. Shakespeare presents love as something enduring and unchanging, not subject to the fluctuations of time or circumstance. He sets up a contrast between the temporary nature of physical beauty and the eternal constancy of genuine love.

True Love's Definition: The speaker defines true love as something that does not waver or diminish over time. It is not swayed by external factors or obstacles ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds / Admit impediments"). Love, in this context, is not merely an emotion but a profound commitment and bond between two people.

Metaphors and Imagery: Shakespeare employs vivid imagery and metaphors throughout the poem to illustrate the nature of love. For example, he describes love as an "ever-fixèd mark" and "the star to every wand'ring bark," suggesting that it provides guidance and stability even in the midst of life's storms.

Timelessness of Love: The poet emphasizes the enduring nature of love by asserting that it is not subject to the passage of time ("Love's not time's fool"). Despite the inevitability of aging and mortality, true love remains steadfast and unyielding.

Personal Commitment: The concluding couplet serves as a personal declaration of the speaker's faith in the power of love. He states that if his beliefs about love are proven wrong, then he has never truly written anything meaningful, and no one has ever experienced genuine love.

Overall, "Sonnet 116" celebrates the timeless and unwavering nature of true love, portraying it as a force that transcends the constraints of time and circumstance.

 

 

It seems that lines in a sonnet can have 9-13 syllables

不清楚啊，好像应该有五个重读音节

谢谢小西分享。这首的英语跟现代英语还算接近，不难理解。

以两个音节为一个单位，这点和律诗一样。多谢分享。

发现我原来的排版太乱，现在能看到更多的解释了：）

同感。