莎士比亞的這首十四行詩出現在「羅密歐與茱麗葉」這個劇作裡的第一幕,羅密歐與茱麗葉第一次的相遇。羅密歐用朝聖者和聖人的譬喻,巧妙的透露他一親芳澤的心意,莎翁這個「奇喻」讓羅密歐的求愛高尚而又不落俗套。羅密歐將茱麗葉的手比喻成聖殿,把自己的嘴唇比喻成朝聖者,希望藉以親吻聖地而將身上的罪惡昇華。茱麗葉巧妙的回應羅密歐,請他用雙手合十祈禱以達相同目的。直到最後茱麗葉被說動,她的語言依舊不失矜持且自信。羅密歐也因機智的對答,最後不僅贏得美人心更抱得美人歸。
討論:但這首堪稱浪漫的求愛詩在文豪筆下不難看出傳統對美的概念的迷思,他將女性之美與珠寶畫上等號,身處後現代的讀者們不知是否對美有獨特的理解呢?

Upon seeing Juliet, Romeo, compares her to light or jewels at night and describes her as "true beauty," "beuty too rich for use, for earth too dear" (I.5 ll. 43-52).

Question: What kind of love (at first sight) is this? Religious and pure? Rashful? Bear in mind that Romeo goes to the ball to find his girlfriend Rosaline, but not Juliet.