what exactly does this sonnet mean by shakespear?

Question

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Answer 1

It may appear to be a romantic poem, but it's an endearing sonnet for a male friend.

Answer 2

Basically he's saying that the person he wrote the sonnet for can't be compared to a summer's day because she is way more beautiful and because sometimes the weather in summer can be harsh and hot, and it even can get cold and windy sometimes, so she definitely beats out a summer's day for beauty. Also, unlike a summer's day, her beauty lasts and will never fade or grow cold. It's quite romantic, actually. That Shakespeare certainly had a way with words.

Answer 3

First off let me say that this poem is absolutely beautiful, the form is marvelous and you are certainly right for saying that Shakespare had a way for words, I find that his writings, or poems or quotations are hard to understand and of course that is because of the metaphors being used. It is also hard to depict exactly what he is wanting the reader to understand. I would say this was obviously for a women maybe his girlfriend or just to a lady that was beautiful but there had to be a define definition to Shakespare writing this poem. Also the Lady's that defined this poem are accurately correct.

Answer 4

The first part of the poem means she is lovelier than a summer's day. Then he goes on to say that unlike a summer's day, her beauty will not fade, because it will be immortalized in the lines of this poem .. so that (as it says in the last lines), this poem will live as long as men can breathe, and the memory of her beauty will endure as long as this immortal poem, so that, in a sense, it "gives life to thee" & so immortalizes her.

Answer 5

He is simply saying his beloved is more beautiful than the most beautiful day, and while the weather changes and its beauty diminishes the lovliness of the day, his beloved will never loose that beauty as long as men can see.

Answer 6

http://www.geocities.com/sir_john_eh/shalli.html
This is one of several useful sites which come up on a google search. It should help you understand the poem.