The theme of Sonnet 18 is: Love conquers all. In this poem, the narrator compares his lover to Summer and thinks his lover is better. He also states that his lover will live on forever through this poem.
The full text of the poem is as follows:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Can I compare you to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
You are more lovely and gentle than the hot summer;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
>The strong wind destroys the delicate stamens of May flowers,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Summer leaves in a hurry without stopping.
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
Golden faces are often cast in shadow;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
All beautiful images will inevitably fade,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
Accidentally destroyed or aged naturally.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
And you are as lush as midsummer and will not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Elegance and grace will always be graceful;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
Death cannot force you to die,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
You will live forever in immortal lines.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
This poem will be with you forever.
Extended information
William Shakespeare, a great British drama master, poet, and literary giant during the European Renaissance. Shakespeare showed obvious interest in drama from an early age, and paid great attention to ancient Roman poetry and drama when studying. Later, his family went bankrupt and he dropped out of school to make a living.
Around 1585, he went to London. He first worked as a handyman in the theater and took care of the horses outside the theater. Later, he was noticed for his script writing, became a theater scriptwriter, and obtained a part of the theater's shares. Gradually, he came into contact with the advanced culture and ideas of the Renaissance, and wrote many great works. His creations earned him a substantial income and status as a hereditary gentleman.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Shakespeare