William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 105 is a part of the Fair Youth sequence, which addresses themes of love, beauty, and the poet’s relationship with the young man to whom the poems are addressed. This sonnet, like many of Shakespeare’s works, is a blend of lyrical elegance and intellectual exploration, engaging with the nature of love and the language that can express it. In this essay, we will break down Sonnet 105 by examining its structure and tone, followed by a detailed analysis of its individual quatrains and concluding couplet.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 105
Let not my love be called idolatry,
Nor my belovèd as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises be
To one, of one, still such, and ever so.
Kind is my love today, tomorrow kind,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence;
Therefore my verse, to constancy confined,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.
“Fair, kind, and true” is all my argument,
“Fair, kind, and true,” varying to other words;
And in this change is my invention spent,
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.
“Fair,” “kind,” and “true” have often lived alone,
Which three till now never kept seat in one.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 105
Sonnet 105 follows the standard Shakespearean sonnet form, consisting of 14 lines arranged into three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFEFGG, typical of Shakespeare’s sonnets, which allows for a clear progression of thought and argument. The meter is iambic pentameter, another hallmark of Shakespeare’s poetic style.
In terms of tone, the sonnet begins with a defensive and contemplative tone, where the speaker attempts to clarify and protect his expression of love from misunderstanding. By the end of the poem, the tone shifts to one of self-affirmation and resolution. The speaker is firm in his declaration of the constancy and purity of his love, and through the final couplet, he asserts the harmonious qualities of the beloved that cannot be reduced to mere idolatry.
Analysis of Sonnet 105
Lines 1–4
“Let not my love be called idolatry,
Nor my belovèd as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises be
To one, of one, still such, and ever so.”
In the opening lines, the speaker begins by rejecting the notion that his love is comparable to idolatry. The term “idolatry” suggests a misplaced, excessive reverence, often associated with the worship of false gods or idols. The speaker insists that his love is genuine, not rooted in an unhealthy or exaggerated adoration of an image. The use of the phrase “my songs and praises” signals the poetic act of praising, but in this context, the speaker is clear that the object of his admiration is not an idol, but a real, human figure.
The phrase “to one, of one” reinforces the idea that the beloved is singular and unique—there is no room for comparison. The speaker is declaring his devotion to a person who stands alone in his heart, and this constancy is reiterated with “still such, and ever so,” which emphasizes the timeless, unchanging nature of his affection.
Lines 5–8
“Kind is my love today, tomorrow kind,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence;
Therefore my verse, to constancy confined,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.”
The second quatrain continues the theme of constancy and stability. “Kind is my love today, tomorrow kind” suggests that the speaker’s love is not subject to the whims of time, remaining consistently kind and tender. The repetition of “kind” highlights the unchanging nature of this affection. The phrase “constant in a wondrous excellence” further affirms that the beloved’s virtues are constant and awe-inspiring, making the speaker’s love feel both elevated and grounded.
The line “Therefore my verse, to constancy confined” introduces the idea that the speaker’s poetry is limited by the unchanging nature of his affection. His verse is not filled with the changing moods or whims typical of love poetry; instead, it is consistent and focused on a singular, enduring theme—constancy. The idea of leaving out difference implies that the speaker’s affection does not waver or shift; it is expressed in the same way, every time.
Lines 9–12
“‘Fair, kind, and true’ is all my argument,
‘Fair, kind, and true,’ varying to other words;
And in this change is my invention spent,
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.”
In these lines, the speaker explicitly names the three qualities that define the beloved: “fair,” “kind,” and “true.” These qualities serve as the core of his poetic argument and are repeated throughout the poem. The repetition of these three attributes signifies their centrality to the speaker’s vision of the beloved. The phrase “varying to other words” suggests that the poet may employ different expressions, but the essence of his admiration remains consistent. This might indicate that the speaker’s creativity is spent in variations on a theme that always circles back to these three qualities.
The line “three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords” conveys that these three qualities—fairness, kindness, and truth—combine to create a harmonious and complete picture of the beloved. By repeating them, the speaker expands the scope of his admiration, showing how these attributes are intertwined and endlessly variable, yet still centered on the same core idea.
Lines 13–14
“‘Fair,’ ‘kind,’ and ‘true’ have often lived alone,
Which three till now never kept seat in one.”
In the final couplet, the speaker offers a conclusive statement about the uniqueness of his beloved. While the qualities of being fair, kind, and true are often considered separately, they have never before been found together in one individual. This assertion elevates the beloved, suggesting that such a combination of virtues is rare and extraordinary. The phrase “never kept seat in one” implies that the beloved is the first to embody all three qualities in perfect harmony, making them an ideal figure for the speaker’s love and admiration.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 105 is a rich meditation on the nature of love, beauty, and constancy. Through the structure of a Shakespearean sonnet, the speaker argues that his love is not idolatrous but genuine, sustained by the qualities of fairness, kindness, and truth. These three qualities serve as the central themes of the poem, repeated and varied throughout the verses to emphasize their importance in the speaker’s vision of the beloved. By the end of the poem, the speaker claims that these qualities, though often found separately, have never before been united in one person—highlighting the uniqueness of his love and admiration.
This sonnet is a beautiful example of Shakespeare’s ability to explore complex emotions with clarity and depth, using language that is both simple and profound. Through it, the poet elevates the beloved while simultaneously reaffirming the constancy and purity of his own devotion.
