¶ … Love Expressed in Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116" and Dryden's "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow"

Love means different things to different people. Two poems that illustrate how opinions change depending on the stages of love are William Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116" and John Dryden's "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow."

These poems are love poems but they express two different attitudes toward love. "Sonnet 116" expresses the positive side of love, focusing on its strength and importance. On the other hand, "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow" conveys the "other" side of love - the side of love that feels old and stale. While both poets believe in love, they are at opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to how love affects them.

Both poems explore the idea of marriage but the similarities end there. In "Sonnet 116," the poet speaks positively of love, introducing us to a metaphor or marriage stating that it is a "marriage of true minds" (Shakespeare 1), indicating that the poet believes he has found his soul mate. The poet also refers to love as an "ever-fixed mark" (5), meaning that his love never waxes or wanes. In addition, it is the "star to every wandering bark" (7). In "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow," the poet claims that marriage is "foolish" (Dryden 1). He also wonders why two people should honor a vow that was made "long ago" (2). In addition, the poet wonders why two people should remain married "When passion is decay'd" (4). Here we see two very different points-of-view regarding love. Love may seem strong to the poet in "Sonnet 116" but it far from that in "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow." While the poet in "Sonnet 116" experiences a love that is "never shaken" (Shakespeare 6) and is not "Time's fool" (9), the poet in "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow" declares that love and marriage are nothing more than "madness" (Dryden 13). Love is real but love can change.

Sonnet 116" and "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow" offers different points-of-view when it comes to love. One poet is happy in love and one poet is unhappy and bound to the ties of marriage.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 116." Shakespeare for Lovers. New York: Carol Publishing Group. 1995.

Dryden, John. "Why Should a Foolish Marriage Vow." Poets.org. Online. http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16824Site Accessed March 09, 2008.