The topic of my essay is about how love is presented in Sonnet 18. Sonnet 18 is one of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare had written as a result of an unknown crush. He wrote sonnets to this unknown person in order to win their affection. However, the first 15 sonnets are presented for Her Royal Highness. Shakespeare presents love as a flirtatious game between young lovers. Shakespeare presents love in Sonnet 18 by using language devices such as natural imagery, hyperbole and a rhetorical question.

Shakespeare presents love to the reader by using natural imagery. This presents love that lasts very long for example in the line off Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 he says “shall I compare thee to a summers day” this shows the reader that he’s love for him or her is going to be for the rest of his or her life. It uses natural imagery because summer is not made by anyone or anything. There are many other language devices that relate to natural imagery for example “so long as men can breath and the eye can see” this is natural imagery that relates to a males body, so it makes it easier to understand what point Shakespeare is trying to get across to the reader and it also makes it easier to understand because Shakespeare uses modern day language to get his point through to his crush weather it’s a male or a female person.

Shakespeare presents love to the reader by using hyperbole. This presents love as statements that are not meant to be taken seriously for example Shakespeare says and I quote “summer shall not fade” this is not meant to be taken seriously by the reader or Shakespeare’s crush before Shakespeare states “summer shall not fade” he says “eternal summer” in this saying Shakespeare is using natural imagery and hyperbole to put his point across to the reader He he is just showing his crush that his love will last all summer, that’s why his saying “eternal summer”, eternal means for ever and ever so he will love him or her for an eternal amount of time, this statement from sonnet 18 (“eternal summer shall not fade”) I do not believe that Shakespeare wants the readers of sonnet 18 to believe that summer will last forever so it is important that I make it clear in this essay Shakespeare does not mean summer is coming forever

Shakespeare presents love to the reader by using a rhetorical question. There is a rhetorical question in the first line of sonnet 18 “shall I compare thee to summers day” most people enjoy a bright warm sunny day so Shakespeare is asking weather he should compare his crush to one of these (hot sunny day) Shakespeare must know weather his crush likes Sunny days or not because if they dislike a sunny day it would put Shakespeare even further back down the friends list but if they like a hot summers day then it will put a positive vibe on Shakespeare crush and be happy to be compared to a hot summers day

In conclusion, Shakespeare presents love by using language devices such as hyperbole, natural imagery and a rhetorical question. Overall these language devices communicate Shakespeare’s crush likes a summers day the author can use a question which asks if he should compare them to a summers day for example shakespeare says “shall I compare thee to a summers day”.