Question

let me not to the marriage of true minds
admit impediments. love is not love
which alters when it alteration finds,
or bends with the remover to remove:
o no! it is an ever - fixed mark,
that looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
it is the star to every wandering bark,
whose worths unknown, although his height be taken.
loves not times fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
within his bending sickles compass come

what is the meaning of the extended metaphor in this sonnet?

1. love is beautiful, but it lasts only briefly, like roses that eventually fade on their bent stems.
2. love is only true if it is unwavering in the face of adversity, like the unmoving position of a star in the sky.
3. love is an obstacle to true happiness, bringing emotional challenges that are difficult to overcome.
4. love leads to doom, so only fools who cannot recognize errors fall in love.

Explanation:

The sonnet uses an extended metaphor comparing love to a "star" that is "ever - fixed" and "unchangeable" even when the "wand'ring bark" (a ship) is affected by storms. Option 2 says love is true if it's unwavering in adversity, like a star's unchanging position. Option 1 contradicts the sonnet's view of love as lasting (the sonnet says love is "ever - fixed", not brief like fading roses). Option 3 presents love as an obstacle, which is not what the sonnet conveys. Option 4's negative view of love also doesn't match the sonnet's positive portrayal of true love.

Answer:

1. Love is only true if it is unwavering in the face of adversity, like the unchanging position of a star in the sky.