WHEN MY LOVE SWEARS THAT SHE IS MADE OF TRUTH Shakespeare Sonnet 138
Shakespeare’s sonnet 138, “When my love swears that she is made of truth,” tells a story of the lies people tell to keep their loved ones satisfied and happy. Shakespeare uses a number of poetic elements to portray his insecurity with his own age and the infidelity of his lover. The illustrated style of the sonnet forces the reader to ask numerous questions about the lover’s unfaithfulness and the feelings that Shakespeare has towards her and himself. The sonnet is written in iambic pentameter and has an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. The first three stanzas create the story while the last two lines of the sonnet forms the conclusion that comfort comes from the lies that the two lovers tell each other.