> So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
> So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
This powerful couplet serves as the climax of the sonnet, solidifying the speaker's enduring love for the beloved. It makes a profound statement about the power of poetry and the immortality it offers.
Here's how it contributes to the poem's overall meaning:
* Immortality through poetry: The speaker claims that as long as people exist, the poem will endure, granting the beloved eternal life through its words. This sets up a striking contrast with the transient nature of summer, which the poem initially used as a point of comparison.
* Love as a timeless force: By linking the beloved's beauty to the poem's enduring life, the speaker elevates their love to a level beyond the fleeting nature of physical beauty and time. This underscores the poem's central theme of love's power to transcend mortality.
* The power of art: The couplet suggests that art, specifically poetry, can outlive its subject and create a lasting legacy. It reinforces the idea that artistic expression can immortalize both the artist and their muse.
* A promise of enduring love: The speaker's claim that the poem will "give life" to the beloved implies a deep and enduring love that transcends death. It reinforces the poem's message of love's ability to overcome the limitations of time and mortality.
In essence, the concluding couplet of Sonnet 18 elevates the poem's meaning beyond a simple love poem. It becomes a profound exploration of the power of love, the enduring nature of art, and the potential for immortality through creative expression. It leaves the reader with a sense of hope and wonder, solidifying the sonnet's place as one of Shakespeare's most celebrated works.