Sonnets

    I believe the theme of both poems is how one percieves love.
    In Shakespeare's poem, the narrator has a clear idea of what love is. Love overcomes obstacles and it never dies. Love does not depend on time, and it is often taken for granted. The couplet at the end expresses his strong belief in the existence of true love and expresses the loss he will feel if its existence is proven otherwise. The narrator is probably in love.
   In contrast, the narrator in Millay's poem is unsure of what love is. This is shown when the narrator says "I cannot say what loves have come and gone". The speaker has had a lot of partners, without fully developing a romantic relationship with them. I believe that might have been the partners' decision and not the speakers' because the speaker is clearly yearning for love. In addition, the speaker refers to his/her partners as birds that are with him/her during the summer and away during the winter, when he/she feels lonely. This is probably a reference to bird migrating during the winter.