The rough winds shake the darling buds of the month of May. 

The phrase ‘summer’s lease’ means that the summer season is short. The season does not last very long and is fated to end. 

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 presents several deficiencies of the summer season. Firstly, the summer season lacks loveliness and constancy in comparison to the poet’s friend. Summer winds are ‘rough’ and cause harm to the ‘darling buds of May’. The summer season does not last long. The summer season beauty diminishes with time. Lastly, the summer season gives in to death that is, the season after a certain period of time comes to an end.

What type of poem is ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Who is the poet? Whom does the poet speak of? What does the poet say about the person spoken of?

‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ is a sonnet.

The poet is William Shakespeare. The poet has spoken of his friend here. The poet says that his friend’s beauty is everlasting. It will neither diminish with time nor can death take it away as his friend’s beauty will be immortalised in his poetry. As long as men exist on earth and continue reading poetry, they will read this sonnet and sing in praise of the poet’s friend’s beauty.