"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day" or Sonnet No 18 by William Shakespeare || Class 12th || SAQ || Important questions

Some Important Information

*Shakespeare, in sonnets 1-17, urges his friend to marry so that he may live through his children.

*But in Sonnet No-18, Shakespeare expresses his wish to immortalize his friend through his verse.

*Sonnet No-18 is a unique combination of both forms- Italian and English. The sonnet may contain a ‘volta’ or shift in thought. This takes place with the use of ‘but’ in the 9th line.

*Petrarch praised the beauty of his beloved Laura in his sonnets. But Shakespeare wanted to immortalize his friend Mr. W.H. through his verse. He thinks that time is always on its relentless march. The onslaught of time destroys qualities like beauty and youth. The only way to preserve his friend’s worth is to write a verse for him. This verse would surely protect the poet’s friend from the ravages of time.

*His verses ensure his friend’s existence in eternal lines-a move from the ‘ in time’ to ‘to time’.

*The sonnet sequence published in-1609

*The poem begins with both Interrogation and Metaphor

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

*Summer’s day refers to the summer season.

*The month referred in the poem-May

SAQ (SHORT ANSWER QUESTION)

1. Why does every fair object lose its fairness ?

Every fair object loses its fairness due to chance or Nature's untrimmed changing course.

2. Explain the phrase ‘Nature’s changing course untrimmed’.

The phrase ‘Nature’s changing course untrimmed’ signifies the natural decay of all earthly objects. Either as a matter of chance or due to Nature's neglect.

3. ‘And every fair from fair sometimes declines’-What does ‘fair’ mean here ?

Here ‘fair’ is used twice. The first ‘fair’ means ‘beauty’ and the second ‘fair’ means beautiful object.

4. What does the line ‘And every fair from fair sometimes declines’ mean ?

The line ‘And every fair from fair sometimes declines’ means that with the passing of time everything fair or beautiful object will lose its loveliness.

5. Why does every fair from fair sometimes decline ?

Every fair from fair sometimes declines either as a matter of chance or due to Nature's untrimmed changing course.

6. What demerits does the beauty of the sun possess ?

The beauty of the sun is not constant. Sometimes the sun shines too brightly and other times it gets hidden by the clouds in the sky. These are the demerits the beauty of the sun possesses.

7. Which season is mentioned in Sonnet No-18 ?

In Sonnet No-18 here mentioned the season is summer.

8. Whom does the poet praise in his Sonnet No-18 ?

The poet praises his male friend in his Sonnet No-18.

9. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s Day” ?-Who is ‘thee’ referred to here ?

Here the poet’s friend is referred to as ‘thee’.

10. With what does the poet compare his friend in sonnet-18 ?

The poet compares his friend with summer in his sonnet 18.

11. What are the qualities of summer ?

Summer has beauty and calmness.

12. ‘Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may”-What are buds compared to ?

Buds are compared to the little beautiful children blooming.

13. What does ‘Eye of Heaven’ mean ?

The ‘Eye of Heaven’ means the Sun.

14. “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date”- What is meant by summer’s lease ?

Summer’s lease refers to the short span of time granted for the summer season.

15. What is the complexion of summer ?

The complexion of summer is golden.

16. How is the gold complexion of the sun dimmed ?

The gold complexion of the sun is dimmed by the passing clouds.

17. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade”- What does the word summer refer to here ? Whose eternal summer shall not fade ?

In the above mentioned line here ‘Summer’ refers to the beauty of the poet's loving friend.

The eternal summer of Shakespeare’s beloved friend will not fade.

18. What is meant by the term ‘eternal summer’?

The term ‘eternal summer’ refers to the timeless beauty of the poet’s friend.

19. Why will the ‘eternal summer’ of the friend never fade ?

 The ‘eternal summer’ of the friend will never fade as Shakespeare would preserve his friend’s beauty in the everlasting lines of his sonnet.

20. What will the poet’s friend not lose possession of ?

The poet’s friend will not lose possession of the fair beauty it owns.

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