Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare PDF

Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun By: William Shakespeare William Shakespeare April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616 Born/Baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564 Died on April 23, 1616 in Stratford- upon-Avon. A poet, dramatist, and an actor. He is...

Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun By: William Shakespeare William Shakespeare April 26, 1564 - April 23, 1616 Born/Baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564 Died on April 23, 1616 in Stratford- upon-Avon. A poet, dramatist, and an actor. He is considered as the greatest dramatist of all time. Some of his notable works include; Sonnet 18, As You Like It, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and many more. (Bevington et. al, 2024)  The Sonnet: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.  Who could be speaking in the poem? The speaker could be the partner or the spouse of the “Mistress”, who is the addressed. “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.” “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound;“ It could be inferred from the lines that he mocks his mistress of her appearance. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. But in this line, he talks about how he genuinely loves her despite the unrealistic comparisons of her beauty to something.  How would you describe the speaker? The speaker or the spouse is someone who genuinely cares and for his mistress, and someone who loves them truly without exaggerating it.  Is there a direct addressee? Who could be the addressee in the poem? The direct addressee in the poem is the persona’s Mistress “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.” The other addressee that the poem included can be women in general. “As any she belied with false compare.” What is the subject (topic) of the poem? What is the basic situation? The subject of the poem is the The basic situation is about the poem persona’s realistic depiction of the his addressing the typical conventions of mistress’ features. romantic poetry. “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.“ “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound;“ What is the overall mood of the poem? How do the words and images help The poem's mood is create the mood of both humorous and the poem? realistic.  Instead of comparing his mistress to idealized images like the sun, Ironic and roses, or snow, the speaker humorously states the opposite; Humorous... "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun," "If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun." These lines mock the clichés of love poetry by deliberately using unflattering and mundane comparisons.  Instead of claiming that her cheeks are as red as roses or that she has a goddess-like walk, the speaker says, Realism "And in some perfumes is there more delight / Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks” "My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground." These lines emphasize her human qualities, offering a genuine portrayal that readers can relate to. What is the tone of the persona? How do the words and images support the tone? The persona’s tone is ironic and affectionate.  What is the tone of the persona? How do the words and images support the tone? The words and imagery support an realistic but affectionate tone by subverting from traditional romantic ideals. “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the Sun.” “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun” “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.”  What is the main message or theme of the poem? The message of the poem is that true love transcends idealistic features, meaning that you’ll love the person no matter what their appearance might seem. Throughout the poem, the persona compared unrealistic beauty standards to their mistress’ current appearances; “Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;” “I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;” And then the persona in the last couplet of the poem: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.” which indicates his raw and genuine feelings of love for his mistress is rare, despite the beauty standards society upholds.  What figures of speech and other literary devices were used to present the theme? List the figures of speech/devices and explain each. These are the prominent literary devices that are present in the poem: 1. Simile - The persona compares her wife’s features but in a provocative way; “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red;” 2. Metaphor, in which the poet uses a direct comparison for the addressee’s hair to a black wire. 3. Imagery - The poem used two imagery to describe the adressee; a. Visual Imagery - Where the poet compared the color of the addressees lips to the color of a Coral, which is also red. b. Olfactory Imagery - The poet compared her breath to a perfume. 4. Antitheses - The lines “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know” and “That music hath a far more pleasing sound” are the juxtaposition of both opposing ideas in order to emphasize her appreciation of one of her realistic features. How do the words, images, and figures of speech help support the theme? The main theme is supported by the humorous references and ironic tone of the poem which are present on the usage of literary devices, with a clear contrast between the idealistic beauty standards and the realistic appearance of his mistress: “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.“ What is the structure of the poem? How does the poetic structure help support the tone, mood, and theme The of poem the poem? is a sonnet (specifically a Shakespearean 1st quatrain: Ironic comparisons sonnet), meaning it's 14 lines from the addressee’s eyes, hair, and long and uses an iambic lips; pentameter. “My mistress' eyes are nothing like It follows a rhyme scheme of the sun; ABABCDCDEFEFGG, with Coral is far more red than her lips' three quatrains and a red; couplet; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.” What is the structure of the poem? How does the poetic structure help support the tone, mood, and theme of the poem? The poem is a sonnet, The 2nd quatrain contains realistic meaning it's 14 lines long. comparisons of her breath and It follows a rhyme scheme of cheeks, ABABCDCDEFEFGG, with “I have seen roses damasked, red three quatrains and a and white, couplet; But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.” What is the structure of the poem? How does the poetic structure help support the tone, mood, and theme of the poem? The poem is a sonnet, The 3rd quatrain contains the meaning it's 14 lines long. acknowledgement of her lack of It follows a rhyme scheme of goddess-like qualities but still ABABCDCDEFEFGG, with appreciates her no matter what, “I love to hear her speak, yet well I three quatrains and a know couplet; That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.“ What is the structure of the poem? How does the poetic structure help support the tone, mood, and theme of the poem? Tone, mood, and the theme of the poem supports the poetic structure The poem is a sonnet, by allowing the sonnet to play with meaning it's 14 lines long. the reader’s expectations, using wit It follows a rhyme scheme of and irony to challenge traditional ABABCDCDEFEFGG, with romantic ideals while delivering a three quatrains and a sincere love letter. couplet; These expectations include; the poem’s unexpected descriptions of the addressee and the surprising conclusion that reads affection rather than another harsh statement.  In a scale of 1-10, how do you evaluate the poem? Why? 8 out of 10!  In a scale of 1-10, how do you evaluate the poem? Why? Because of its sincereness and also a progressive thought of rejection of the traditional idealistic comparisons of the common love poetry at their time. Unlike most love poems, there are no hyperboles and figurative comparisons used in the poem to describe the speaker’s mistress. It also deconstructs the standards of beauty by describing her features in very raw and simple language contrary to what is normally expected. There is humor and irony in the poem but deep down the speaker is serious about love and cares about it; he proclaims the truth in it. Thank you! Reference: Bevington, D. , Spencer,. Terence John Bew and Brown,. John Russell (2024, September 7). William Shakespeare. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare