Sonnet 138
Sonnet 138 is a poem written by William Shakespeare, one of the most renowned writers in all of literature. It is part of his 154-sonnet sequence that was first published in 1609 and explores themes such as love, beauty, mortality, and time. This particular sonnet has been praised for its wit and clever use of language to convey its message.
The poem begins with the narrator describing how he finds it strange that people can accept lies about their beloved's faithfulness when they have no evidence or proof. He then goes on to compare this situation to an accounting ledger where only honest entries are accepted; if something does not match up exactly, then it must be discarded as false. The speaker acknowledges that while he too is guilty of lying about his own love life, at least he knows what the truth looks like, even though he may choose not to follow it himself. In the end, despite knowing full well that both parties are deceiving each other out of convenience rather than honesty or genuine feelings, the speaker still values their relationship enough to keep going regardless, because ultimately, "all's well that ends well," according to him.
Ultimately, Sonnet 138 serves as an interesting insight into human relationships through exploring ideas around deceit and truth, which were particularly relevant during Shakespeare's lifetime but remain just as applicable today four centuries later due to our ever-changing social norms and expectations regarding matters involving fidelity within romantic partnerships. Its clever wordplay also continues to make it popular among readers who appreciate subtle literary techniques used by skilled authors such as Shakespeare himself, who managed to turn a seemingly mundane topic into something much more profound without needing any unnecessary embellishments or flourishes along the way.