Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare

This month’s Classic Reading brings one of the most enduring love poems in the English language to life. Join Dr. Brian Chalk as he reads Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare, a timeless meditation on the nature of true love — steadfast, unchanging, and unconstrained by time.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 has resonated for centuries with readers and lovers alike, offering an elegant affirmation that “love’s not Time’s fool” and that genuine devotion remains constant through all trials and changes. In this featured reading, Dr. Chalk’s interpretation illuminates the sonnet’s rich language and emotional depth for both new readers and seasoned enthusiasts.

About This Reading

Sonnet 116 offers a reflection well suited to the month of Valentine’s Day, one that is strikingly unsentimental. Rather than celebrating romance as fleeting emotion, Shakespeare defines love by what it withstands—change, time, uncertainty, and loss. Love, in this sonnet, is not marked by grand gestures but by constancy.

Written as an argument rather than a confession, the poem insists that true love does not “alter when it alteration finds,” nor bend under pressure or circumstance. It endures precisely because it is rooted in commitment and clarity rather than passion alone.

In this reading, Dr. Brian Chalk presents Sonnet 116 as a quiet counterpoint to modern Valentine’s Day conventions, inviting listeners to reflect on love as a steady, guiding force—one that holds its meaning long after the cards and celebrations fade.

Filming support provided by Michael Grabowski, Director of the Game Design & Production major and Professor in the Communication, Sound, and Media Arts Department, with assistance from Sami Abuauad ’26 (Digital Media Art major, Marketing minor).

READ AT poetryfoundation.org