Sonnet 116

           After our discussion in class about “Sonnet 116” I found myself wondering about the reference to the value of a ship being measured. I know that we presumed that Norton was wrong, and that Shakespeare did not mean the North Star. However, when I read the sonnet, it made more sense to me that the North Star was in fact what was being referenced.

              In the second quatrain, the “ever fixed mark” (5) seems to be the focal point, whereas the “wand’ring bark” (7) is simply being utilized to show the importance of the North Star. The constancy of the North Star allows ships to correctly navigate the open ocean, which in turn shows love as a guide to wandering hearts. I believe that Shakespeare would not have changed to the ship being the focal point in the middle of a quatrain; instead he would have maintained the star as the point of focus like he did for time in the third quatrain.

                The North Star can be measured by sailors utilizing a sextant. As seen in the sonnet, the star can be used as an instrument or guide, and can even be measured, but it remains a mystery and its true wealth is unknown. Shakespeare uses the North Star to show that love can be used as a guide, and even roughly measured, but its true meaning is mysterious to wandering hearts.

                I do not think that using either the star or the ship as the focal point detracts from Shakespeare’s intent in the sonnet. Each one portrays the folly of love and how it is never constant. Whether it be the wealth of a ship or mystery of a star, love is ever-changing. As we discussed in class, Shakespeare is taking what love is usually referenced as and displaying that love is not all these things. Love is not constant, nowhere near timeless, and does not “bear it out even to the edge of doom” (12).