Trivia: In Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18,” what is the beloved compared to?
A summer’s day
A blooming rose
A puppy
A singing bird
Correct Answer: A summer’s day
So why is this answer correct? : William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, but “Sonnet 18,”published in 1609, has one of the most recognizable opening lines in history. The speaker goes on to explain that the object of affection in the poem has admirable qualities that exceed a summer’s day. The famous opening goes as follows, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate…”