Shakespeare's collection of sonnets is considered one of the largest and most ambitious collections of sonnets in English literature. Of these 154 sonnets, the first 126 are addressed to a "handsome young man", a handsome young man, with whom Shakespeare developed an intimate friendship. The general theme of devotion in Antimony to mortality indicates that "Sonnet 18" is primarily a love poem. Accordingly, the purpose of the poem initially seems to be to compare the beauty of his beloved friend with a common symbol of beauty, a beautiful summer day. However, Shakespeare actually offers a pragmatic critique of the conventions of love poetry. He not only exposes the flaws of love poetry through simile, but also suggests its merits in conveying the idea of ​​its eternal love and the ability of verse to immortalize both love and beauty. “Sonnet 18” is written in typical Shakespearean language. sonnet form, consisting of three distinctive quatrains and a rhyming couplet. This style of poetry is very useful for creating a coherent argument because the quatrains separate the main ideas. Although the quatrains of “Sonnet 18” are not physically divided by open lines, they are clearly separated by the change in rhyme scheme. The poem deals with thematic ideas of the inability to capture beauty satisfactorily, the transience of beauty and the brevity of life (Mabillard para. 1), and, in contrast, the timelessness of poetry. In the first quatrain, Shakespeare immediately establishes the intentions of his poem. On the surface, he wishes to celebrate the beauty of “beautiful youth”. However, through his question “Shall I compare you to a summer’s day?” it actually shows his hesitation in using such a comparison...... middle of paper ......is to capture the instant beauty of his friend, which makes the initial flaws of this poem irrelevant. Shakspeare attempted, performed, and achieved all of this in just fourteen careful lines, and the fact that people still read and analyze this poem today is a testament to the success of his effort. Works CitedShakespeare, W. “Sonnet 18”. Ed. Amandine Mabillard. Shakespeare Online. November 12, 2008. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18detail.html >.Shakespeare, W. “Sonnet 18.” Productions of the time. Comp. Department of English. Grahamstown: Rhodes University, 2012 Mabillard, Amanda. How to analyze a “Shakespearean Sonnet”. Shakespeare Online. November 20, 2009. < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/sonnetanalyze.html >.Mukherjee, T. “Shakespeare's Sonnets: Time and Love” Studying English Literature. (2012): lines 12-15