Shakespeare’s Sonnet 115 is a deeply reflective poem that meditates on the evolution of love, time, and the nature of human judgment. This sonnet, written in the typical Shakespearean form, consists of 14 lines, divided into three quatrains and a final rhymed couplet. In terms of tone, the poem moves from a sense of regret and uncertainty to one of realization and clarity, ultimately affirming the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of love.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 115
Those lines that I before have writ do lie,
Even those that said I could not love you dearer;
Yet then my judgment knew no reason why
My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer.
But reckoning time, whose millioned accidents
Creep in ’twixt vows and change decrees of kings,
Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp’st intents,
Divert strong minds to th’ course of alt’ring things—
Alas, why, fearing of time’s tyranny,
Might I not then say “Now I love you best,”
When I was certain o’er incertainty,
Crowning the present, doubting of the rest?
Love is a babe. Then might I not say so,
To give full growth to that which still doth grow.
The Structure and Tone of Sonnet 115
Sonnet 115 follows the conventional Shakespearean sonnet structure, featuring three quatrains and a rhymed couplet at the end. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, which is standard for this sonnet type. The meter is predominantly iambic pentameter, a rhythmic structure common to Shakespeare’s poetry, giving the lines a musical and formal quality that contrasts with the intimate themes the poem explores.
The tone of the sonnet shifts throughout, starting with an almost regretful or self-critical mood in the opening quatrains, moving to a more meditative and reconciliatory tone as the speaker gains insight into the nature of love. By the final couplet, the speaker reaches a clearer understanding, evoking a tone of acceptance and wisdom about the fluidity of love over time.
Analysis of Sonnet 115
Lines 1-4
“Those lines that I before have writ do lie,
Even those that said I could not love you dearer;
Yet then my judgment knew no reason why
My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer.”
In the opening lines, the speaker reflects on his previous statements—lines he wrote earlier in which he professed that he could not love more deeply than he did at that moment. The first four lines highlight the tension between what the speaker once believed and what he now recognizes. The word “lie” signals that these earlier declarations were inaccurate or overly simplistic, suggesting that love is not a fixed or static feeling. The phrase “my judgment knew no reason why” reveals that the speaker’s earlier sense of certainty about love was based on limited understanding, as love’s depth can only be fully realized over time. The use of “my most full flame” implies that love is something that burns brighter with experience and maturity. Thus, these lines introduce the main argument of the sonnet: the speaker has learned that love is not only capable of intensifying but also subject to the passage of time and evolving emotions.
Lines 5-8
“But reckoning time, whose millioned accidents
Creep in ’twixt vows and change decrees of kings,
Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp’st intents,
Divert strong minds to th’ course of alt’ring things—”
In the second quatrain, the speaker shifts the focus to time, which he describes as an unpredictable force, capable of introducing countless “accidents” into the trajectory of life and love. “Creep in ‘twixt vows” suggests that time subtly infiltrates even the most sacred promises or commitments, such as vows of love, and alters their course. Time is a force that is capable of undermining the idealism that often accompanies romantic commitments, causing “sacred beauty” (the beloved’s physical or emotional attractiveness) to “tan” (diminish or fade), and “blunt the sharp’st intents” (weaken even the most passionate desires). The phrase “divert strong minds” indicates that powerful emotions and commitments may eventually shift or change due to the passage of time, implying the impermanence of human will and affection. Here, Shakespeare introduces time as a transformative and often disruptive influence on love, suggesting that love, while strong, is not immune to its effects.
Lines 9-12
“Alas, why, fearing of time’s tyranny,
Might I not then say “Now I love you best,”
When I was certain o’er incertainty,
Crowning the present, doubting of the rest?”
The speaker now addresses time’s influence directly, acknowledging the fear of its “tyranny”—the idea that time has the power to disrupt or alter even the most sincere expressions of love. In these lines, the speaker reflects on his earlier emotional state, wondering why he could not have said, “Now I love you best” in the moment, when he felt certain about his feelings. The juxtaposition of “certain o’er uncertainty” is an intriguing one, as it suggests that the speaker was once confident about the present but lacked an understanding of the uncertainties that lay ahead. This tension between certainty and doubt shows the complexities of love, suggesting that the speaker now realizes that love cannot be confined to a single moment or statement. It is in constant flux, and as the present moment evolves, so too does the speaker’s understanding of what it means to love.
Lines 13-14 (Couplet)
“Love is a babe. Then might I not say so,
To give full growth to that which still doth grow.”
The final couplet provides the resolution to the poem’s exploration of love’s evolution. By describing love as “a babe,” the speaker acknowledges that love is, like a child, in a constant state of development. Love cannot be fixed at one point in time—it must grow and evolve. The phrase “to give full growth to that which still doth grow” indicates that the speaker now understands that love is not an absolute state but a process that unfolds as time passes. It is an organic and transformative force that requires both patience and acknowledgment of its changing nature. The speaker accepts that his love, like a living being, cannot be constrained by a single moment of judgment but must be allowed to mature, deepen, and expand as time continues its course.
Conclusion
In Sonnet 115, Shakespeare explores the tension between love’s fleeting and eternal qualities. Through the speaker’s evolving understanding of love over time, the poem illustrates that love is neither fixed nor unchanging. Instead, it is a dynamic and living force that grows and matures, shaped by both time and experience. The speaker’s earlier expressions of certainty are juxtaposed with the realization that love, like life itself, is subject to the unpredictable passage of time and the uncertainties that accompany it. By the end of the sonnet, the speaker embraces the idea that love is an ongoing process, continually evolving, and that true understanding of love comes with the wisdom to recognize its potential for growth.
