Sonnet 18, one of William Shakespeare’s most famous poems, poses the question of whether to compare a beloved to a summer’s day. However, the problem arises in the comparison itself, as Shakespeare explores the limitations of this metaphor.
Initially, he praises summer for its beauty, but he quickly identifies its shortcomings: summer can be too hot, its duration is fleeting, and it can be marred by unpredictable weather. In contrast, the speaker asserts that the beauty of his beloved is eternal, captured forever through the power of poetry.
The real problem lies in the fleeting nature of beauty and life. While summer is temporary, the poem suggests that the beloved’s beauty can be immortalized through verse, thus raising deeper questions about mortality and the human experience. The tension between the temporary and the eternal reflects Shakespeare’s broader themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time.