Shall I Compare Thee Question Answer

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

• Who is referred to as “thee”?
  The speaker refers to his beloved, whose beauty and qualities inspire the poem.
• How does the poet compare “thee” to a summer’s day?
  The poet compares his beloved to a summer’s day, emphasizing that the beloved is more lovely and temperate than summer.
• Why does the poet believe “thee” is superior to a summer’s day?
  The poet considers the beloved superior because summer is fleeting and imperfect, whereas the beloved’s beauty is eternal and unchanging.

2. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade.”

• Who is the poet?
  The poet is William Shakespeare.
• What is meant by “thy eternal summer”?
  “Thy eternal summer” symbolizes the everlasting beauty and youth of the poet’s beloved, preserved through the lines of the poem.
• How does the poet suggest that “thy eternal summer” shall never end?
  The poet suggests that the beloved’s beauty will remain eternal through the immortality of the poem, which will preserve their essence forever.

3. “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.”

• What do “rough winds” symbolize in the poem?
  “Rough winds” symbolize the unpredictable and harsh forces of nature, which disturb the fleeting beauty of spring.
• How do “rough winds” affect the “darling buds of May”?
  The rough winds damage the delicate buds of May, highlighting the transient nature of spring’s beauty.
• What does this line imply about the transient nature of summer?
  The line implies that summer, like spring, is short-lived and subject to disruption, unlike the beloved’s eternal beauty.

4. “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”

• What does the poet mean by “summer’s lease”?
  “Summer’s lease” refers to the limited duration of summer, as if it is borrowed for a short time.
• How does this line reflect the fleeting nature of beauty?
  The line suggests that natural beauty, like summer, is temporary and fades with time.
• How is the subject’s beauty contrasted with summer’s brevity?
  The poet contrasts the beloved’s beauty by claiming it is eternal and unchanging, unlike the fleeting season of summer.

5. “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines.”

• What does “the eye of heaven” refer to?
  “The eye of heaven” refers to the sun, which symbolizes summer’s warmth and brightness.
• How is the “eye of heaven” both a positive and a negative aspect of summer?
  The sun brings warmth and light but can also be too hot and overpowering, reflecting the imperfections of summer.
• How does this relate to the imperfection of summer?
  The line highlights the inconsistency of summer, contrasting it with the beloved’s temperate and perfect nature.

6. “And often is his gold complexion dimm’d.”

• What causes the “gold complexion” of summer to be “dimm’d”?
  The “gold complexion” of the sun is dimmed by clouds or bad weather, symbolizing summer’s flaws.
• How does this reflect the theme of impermanence?
  It emphasizes that even the brightest and most beautiful aspects of nature are temporary.
• How is the subject’s beauty depicted as superior to this impermanence?
  The poet portrays the subject’s beauty as constant and eternal, unaffected by time or nature’s changing course.

7. “And every fair from fair sometime declines.”

• From which poem is this line quoted, and who is the poet?
  The line is from Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare.
• What does the poet mean by “every fair from fair”?
  The phrase means that all beauty fades over time due to chance or the natural process of aging.
• How does the poet promise to immortalize his subject’s beauty?
  The poet promises to preserve the beloved’s beauty through the immortal lines of his poetry.

8. “By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d.”

• What does “nature’s changing course” refer to?
  It refers to the inevitable passage of time and the natural processes that lead to decay and aging.
• How does this line reflect the inevitability of aging and decay?
  The line highlights that all beauty is subject to time and chance, making aging and decline unavoidable.
• How does the poet suggest that his subject will escape this fate?
  The poet claims that the subject’s beauty will be immortalized in the poem, defying time and nature’s effects.

9. “Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade.”

• What does the poet mean by “death brag thou wander’st in his shade”?
  The poet asserts that death will not claim the beloved or boast of their presence in its realm.
• How does the poet suggest that the subject will transcend death?
  The poet suggests that the beloved’s beauty and essence will live on through the poem, making them immortal.
• How does this line contribute to the poem’s theme of immortality?
  It reinforces the central theme that poetry has the power to preserve beauty and defy death.

10. “When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.”

• What are the “eternal lines” referred to here?
  The “eternal lines” refer to the lines of the sonnet itself, which immortalize the beloved.
• How do these lines ensure the immortality of the subject?
  The poem’s verses will be read for generations, preserving the subject’s beauty and memory.
• What role does poetry play in defying the ravages of time?
  Poetry serves as a timeless medium that captures and preserves beauty, allowing it to endure beyond physical existence.

11. “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see.”

• What is the significance of this line in the context of the poem?
  The line underscores the permanence of poetry and its ability to immortalize beauty as long as humanity exists.
• How does it reflect the permanence of art?
  It suggests that as long as people live and appreciate poetry, the subject’s beauty will never fade.
• How does this line reinforce the poet’s belief in the power of poetry?
  The line emphasizes that poetry transcends time, granting immortality to those it celebrates.

12. “So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

• What does the poet mean by “this”?
  “This” refers to the sonnet itself.
• How does “this” give life to “thee”?
  The poem preserves the memory and beauty of the beloved, granting them eternal life through its verses.
• How does the poet conclude the sonnet with this promise of immortality?
  The poet concludes by asserting that the beloved will live on forever in the lines of the poem, immortalized by art.

13. “Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”

• How does the poet describe the subject in comparison to a summer’s day?
  The poet describes the subject as more beautiful and gentle than the fleeting and often harsh qualities of summer.
• Why is the subject’s beauty described as “more temperate”?
  The subject’s beauty is balanced and enduring, unlike the extremes of summer’s heat and storms.
• How does this line establish the central theme of the poem?
  It introduces the idea that the beloved’s beauty transcends the imperfections of nature and is eternal.

14. “Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st.”

• What does the poet mean by “that fair thou ow’st”?
  “That fair thou ow’st” refers to the beauty and charm that the beloved possesses.
• How does the poet claim that the subject’s beauty will remain eternal?
  The poet asserts that the beloved’s beauty will be immortalized in the sonnet, protected from the effects of time.
• What role does poetry play in preserving this beauty?
  Poetry acts as a timeless medium, ensuring that the beloved’s beauty will never fade or be forgotten.

15. “And often is his gold complexion dimm’d.”

• How does this line highlight the imperfections of summer?
  It shows that even the sun’s brilliance is inconsistent and subject to change, reflecting summer’s flaws.
• What does the “gold complexion” symbolize?
  The “gold complexion” symbolizes the brightness and beauty of the summer sun.
• How does this imperfection contrast with the subject’s eternal beauty?
  Unlike the sun’s fading light, the subject’s beauty remains constant and unchanging, immortalized through the poem.