Metaphor:
* "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks," "Love's not Time's fool," "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks / Within his bending sickle's compass come." These lines use metaphor to depict love as something that transcends time and change. Time is personified as a "fool" and a "sickle," emphasizing its destructive power, but love, unlike beauty, is not subject to its sway.
* "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom." Here, love is portrayed as an unwavering force, capable of enduring even until the end of the world ("edge of doom").
Personification:
* "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks / Within his bending sickle's compass come." Time is personified as a "fool" and given a "sickle," symbolizing its ability to cut down life's beauty.
Simile:
* "It is the star to every wandering bark, / Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken." Love is compared to a "star" that guides ships lost at sea, suggesting that it provides direction and purpose.
Imagery:
* "Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks / Within his bending sickle's compass come," "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, / But bears it out even to the edge of doom." These lines create vivid imagery of time's destructive power (the "sickle") and the unwavering nature of love, which endures even in the face of destruction.
* "If this be error and upon me proved, / I never writ, nor no man ever loved." Shakespeare uses powerful imagery to emphasize the absolute nature of his belief in true love.
Symbolism:
* "Love is not love / Which alters when it alteration finds, / Or bends with the remover to remove." Love, as a concept, is symbolized by a powerful force that remains constant despite external changes.
* "O no! It is an ever-fixed mark / That looks on tempests and is never shaken." This imagery of a "fixed mark" symbolizes love's steadfastness, its ability to withstand even the most tumultuous storms.
Other devices:
* Repetition: The repeated use of "Love is not love" emphasizes the sonnet's central theme.
* Parallelism: The repeated phrases like "Love alters not," "Love's not Time's fool," and "Love is not love" create a sense of rhythm and emphasis.
Structure:
* Sonnet form: The sonnet's structure itself contributes to the poem's impact. The 14 lines, divided into three quatrains and a concluding couplet, allow Shakespeare to develop his argument step by step, culminating in a strong and definitive statement.
* Rhyme scheme: The ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme adds to the poem's musicality and reinforces the flow of thought.
By combining these poetic devices, Shakespeare crafts a powerful and timeless statement about the nature of true love. Sonnet 116 remains relevant and resonates with readers even centuries later, a testament to the enduring power of both love and language.