Sonnet XVI emphasizes that love should not be based on?

• A. Physical appearance
• B. Wealth
• C. Age
• D. Social status

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that love should be grounded in enduring, inner qualities rather than outward appearances. In this sonnet, the speaker argues that linking love to physical beauty is risky because beauty fades over time; it’s a temporary trait that time can wear away. When love rests on something as fleeting as looks, it cannot endure, so true affection must be rooted in the beloved’s deeper self—character, virtue, and constancy. While wealth, age, or social status are also external factors one could imagine influencing love, the poem centers its critique on beauty itself as an unreliable foundation. So, the best answer is that love should not be based on physical appearance.