Comparison of 1 Corinthians 13 and Sonnet 18

Sonnet 18 is a beautiful literary work that depicts love. In the sonnet, the speaker asks
whether he should compare the young man to a summer's day, but notes that the young man
has qualities that surpass a summer's day. On the other hand, a Biblical reference also talks about
love can be found in 1 Corinthians 13. This passage was written by Apostle Paul many years ago
towards the Christians in Corinth. However, though both literary works talk about love, we can
compare it based on its context.
Similarly, both of them are describing the nature and quality of love. Love is eternal and
incomparable. True love lasts forever and is not affected of outward circumstances. In the
Shakespeare’s lines which says, eternal summer shall not fade/And every fair from fair sometime
declines/Nature’s changing course/Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st/When in eternal
lines to time thou growest, illustrates the eternity of true love. It suggests here that love is
timeless while other things do not last, love is different. In 1 Corinthians 13:8,13 also suggests
that love is eternal. It states that love does not fail when everything fails and love is greater than
faith and hope.
The King James Bible translation uses the old English language. It is evident in the use
charity, instead of love. Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 also uses the old English language and it is
evident in the use of thee and thou in the poem’s structure.
Shakespeare’s description of love involves nature such as the summer/winds/heaven,
while the love in the Biblical reference involves the behavior and character of a person. Love does
not get envy, patient, prideful, sinful, and etc.
One of the big differences between the sonnet 18 and 1 Corinthians is the use of love in
the contextual sense. As we know it, there are different kinds of love and both these literary
works do not mean the same kind. Shakespeare uses the word love in the context of a Phileo love
or friendship love and Eros love or a romantic love as this love is towards a friend, perhaps a male
friend since the poet uses the word “eye of heaven” which is the sun that always refer to
masculine persona. But in 1 Corinthians, the writer uses the word love in the context of
unconditional love or the Agape love. This is different because this refers to the perfect love of
God towards us wherein He loved us unconditionally. The writer also encourages the readers to
love others with this kind of love, wherein God had loved us. That is why, the writer states in the
first verses of 1 Corinthians 13, that even if you have all the faith, eloquence, understanding,
knowledge, charity, and sacrifice, but you lack love, you will be nothing because God wants us to
do things for him with love, for He wants to be loved.
In conclusion, both of the great literary works are remarkable in describing and illustrating
what is love with its nature and character. However, there are differences in the content of how
they describe love and the contextual use of love.