Sonnet 18
Shakespeare's sonnet comparing a youth to a summer's day.
Sonnet 18, often called "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day," ranks among the most famous of William Shakespeare's 154 sonnets. In it, the speaker wonders whether to compare the Fair Youth to a summer's day, then decides the youth surpasses it—a central theme. The poem notes that a summer day's qualities are fleeting and will eventually fade. The speaker declares that the Fair Youth will live forever within the poem's lines, as long as the poem is read. An irony emerges: it is not the actual young man who gains immortality, but the poem's description of him—and that description contains little to no detail about the young man, instead offering vivid, lasting images of a summer day, which the youth is meant to outlast.
Structurally, Sonnet 18 is a standard English or Shakespearean sonnet: 14 lines of iambic pentameter, arranged as three quatrains followed by a couplet. Its rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The poem follows the rhetorical tradition of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, which often discussed a beloved's love and beauty, sometimes unattainable. It also features a volta, or shift in subject, beginning with the third quatrain. The couplet's first line shows regular iambic pentameter: "So long as men can breathe or eyes can see."
The poem belongs to the Fair Youth sequence (sonnets 1–126, based on the 1609 first edition). It is the first sonnet after the opening procreation sonnets, though some scholars argue it is part of that group, since it addresses achieving eternal life through writing—a theme found in sonnets 15–17. In this view, it marks a transition to sonnet 20's focus on time.
In line six, "complexion" has two possible meanings: the face's outward appearance compared to the sun ("the eye of heaven") in the previous line, or the older sense related to the four humours. In Shakespeare's time, "complexion" carried both outer and inner meanings, as did "temperate" (externally a weather condition, internally a balance of humours). The second meaning suggests the beloved's inner, cheerful, and balanced disposition is constant, unlike the sun, which clouds can hide. The first meaning is more obvious: a negative change in his looks.
"Untrimmed" in line eight also has two interpretations: loss of decoration and frills, or untrimmed sails on a ship. The first suggests beautiful things naturally lose their fanciness over time. The second imp
- type
- Sonnet
- lines
- 14
- meter
- Iambic pentameter
- rhyme_scheme
- ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
- form
- English or Shakespearean sonnet
- sequence
- Fair Youth sequence (sonnets 1–126)
Lore & Background
In the sonnet, the speaker asks whether he should compare the Fair Youth to a summer's day, but notes that he has qualities that surpass a summer's day, which is one of the themes of the poem. He also notes the qualities of a summer day are subject to change and will eventually diminish. The speaker then states that the Fair Youth will live forever in the lines of the poem, as long as it can be read. There is an irony being expressed in this sonnet: it is not the actual young man who will be eternalised, but the description of him contained in the poem, and the poem contains scant or no description of the young man, but instead contains vivid and lasting descriptions of a summer day, which the young man is supposed to outlive.
Sonnet 18 is a typical English or Shakespearean sonnet, having 14 lines of iambic pentameter: three quatrains followed by a couplet. It also has the characteristic rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The poem reflects the rhetorical tradition of an Italian or Petrarchan Sonnet. Petrarchan sonnets typically discussed the love and beauty of a beloved, often an unattainable love, but not always. It also contains a volta, or shift in the poem's subject matter, beginning with the third quatrain.
Reader's Guide
Sonnet 18 is among the most widely recognized poems in English literature, often cited for its exploration of beauty, mortality, and the power of verse to confer immortality. The poem's central irony—that the young man is described not through direct detail but through the enduring imagery of a summer day—has prompted extensive scholarly analysis. The word "complexion" in line six carries dual meanings: outward appearance and the older sense related to the four humours, suggesting both external and internal constancy. "Untrimmed" in line eight can mean loss of decoration or untrimmed sails, creating an oxymoron with "nature's changing course" that underscores the theme of mutability versus eternity. The word "ow'st" in line ten can mean both "ownest" and "owest," reflecting a borrowing-and-lending theme common in Shakespeare's sonnets. The poem has been recorded by artists including Paul Kelly, Chuck Liddell, David Gilmour, and Bryan Ferry.
Did You Know?
- The sonnet contains a volta, or shift in subject matter, beginning with the third quatrain.
- The word 'complexion' in line six can mean both outward appearance and the older sense related to the four humours.
- The word 'untrimmed' in line eight can be interpreted as loss of decoration or as untrimmed sails on a ship.
- The word 'ow'st' in line ten can mean both 'ownest' and 'owest,' reflecting a borrowing theme.
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