“O no! it is an ever-fixed mark”: The Everlasting and Unchanging Nature of Love “Let me Not to the Marriage of True Minds,” written by arguably the most prominent writer of all time, William Shakespeare, caries an incredible magnitude of meaning in such a short, compact sonnet. Written so eloquently, Shakespeare communicates his specific and unique idea of love in many clever ways. Throughout this sonnet, Shakespeare skillfully defines “love,” with the use of connotative language and metaphors. The lines that begin with: “O no! it is an ever-fixed mark,” “Love’s not Time’s fool,” and “I never writ, nor no man ever loved,” all consist of metaphors and connotative language that reinforce Shakespeare’s idea of the everlasting and unchanging nature of true love. Metaphorical language is seen …show more content…
It starts with Shakespeare’s ideal idea of unwavering love. In lines 5-6, love is compared to an “ever-fixed” point: “O no! it is an ever-fixed mark / That looks on tempests and is never shaken.” Love is a fixed point that does not waver, even from the approach of “tempests.” Even though the literal meaning of tempests is a storm, in this sonnet, it is used to express any obstacle love may encounter. The term “ever-fixed mark” can be defined as a beacon, in the context of “tempests,” it could be interpreted to be a lighthouse, which is a structure that has a beacon light, built near the shore to aid in guiding ships. Without this “ever-fixed mark,” sailors would be