Question

sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
and often is his gold complexion dimmd,
and every fair from fair sometime declines,
by chance, or natures changing course untrimmd
—\sonnet 18,\
william shakespeare

read the second quatrain of the sonnet, and then answer the questions.

what is the best paraphrase of the first two lines?

the sun is sometimes too hot or dim.
lines?
your eyes are as beautiful as the sun.
summer is not as beautiful as fall

Explanation:

To paraphrase the first two lines "Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm'd", we analyze the meaning. "The eye of heaven" is a metaphor for the sun. The lines mean the sun (eye of heaven) is sometimes too hot (shines too intensely) and often its golden (sun - like) appearance is dimmed. The first option "The sun is sometimes too hot or dim" captures this meaning. The second option is about eyes being as beautiful as the sun, which is not what the lines say. The third option compares summer and fall, which is not related to these lines.

Answer:

A. The sun is sometimes too hot or dim.