We are still in the middle of a heatwave and are all searching for the perfect shade to find shelter from the sun. But is there such a thing as “imperfect shade”? And can it also exist at night? Shakespeare certainly was of the opinion that imperfect shade can exist at night and can even be seen by sightless eyes. However, what is this “fair imperfect shade” in Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 43” and what does it mean? The annotation in line 11 will give you some ideas on what to make of it.