- Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare is a monument to love's enduring power. These lines imply that love is unaffected by time. The figure of time, Father Time, is frequently depicted with a scythe, or sickle, a bent device used to harvest crops. The sickle can damage the young's beautiful lips and cheeks as if it were grain, but it can't change love. In other words, people's outward appearances change through time, and they appear older, yet love remains unaffected by these changes.