Summary
Sonnet 116 was written by William Shakespeare sometime around the 1590s. It was first published in 1609, and it is also known as "Let me not to the marriage of true minds," which is the first line of the poem. The sonnet is a classic meditation on love, including true love and the trials that it can withstand.
At the start of the poem, the poet declares that nothing can stand in the way of two people who love each other in a genuine way. Their "marriage of true minds" can never be blocked or halted because true love does not shift or shrink during times of hardship or change. Steadfast love is as constant as a fixed point, like a lighthouse on the shoreline or a pole star that guides sailors when they are stuck in stormy seas. Even though the value of love is far beyond comprehension, it still helps those who are lost and need its light. Love is not affected by time because its true nature is timeless—it does not fade and decline like mortal bodies and healthy complexions eventually do. In fact, love remains unchanging, even in the face of death. The poet declares that if he is ever proved wrong about these statements, then it also means that he has never written anything substantial and that no one has ever experienced real love before.
