Sonnet 116
Edexcel GCSE English Literature revision on Sonnet 116. Aligned to the Edexcel GCSE English Literature 1ET0 specification. This bank has 15 practice questions on this topic.
About this topic
Sample questions (3 of 15)
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Question 1
Who is the speaker of the line: 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments'?
- A) The poet
- B) The lover
- C) The bride
- D) The priest
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Answer: The poet
The sonnet is written in the voice of the poet, William Shakespeare, who is addressing the reader or the subject of the poem. It is a personal meditation on the nature of constancy in romantic relationships.
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Question 2
What literary technique is used in the phrase: 'It is the star to every wandering bark'?
- A) Simile
- B) Metaphor
- C) Hyperbole
- D) Personification
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Answer: Metaphor
The poet equates love to the North Star, which sailors used for navigation. By calling love a 'star', he is making a direct comparison, which is the definition of a metaphor.
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Question 3
What theme is most developed by the line: 'Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks'?
- A) Ambition
- B) Time
- C) Social Class
- D) Betrayal
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Answer: Time
The speaker argues that true love is not subject to the passage of time. While physical beauty fades within 'brief hours and weeks', true love remains constant.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
12 more questions on Sonnet 116 — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole English Literature spec.