Most sonnets, including others written by Shakespeare, praised women and practically deified them. In the first two lines, we hear only that the woman isn't like these other things the sun, coral. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rareAs any she belied with false compare. These negative comparisons may sound almost unloving, however, Shakespeare proves that the mistress outdistances any goddess. Love is beautiful and everyone sees it in a different light and in different people. If someone told you that your breath stinks, and then said he loved you anyway, would you be thrilled? In line 11, the speaker essentially tells us that he's willing to admit that he's never seen a goddess move. Tone The tone of Sonnet 130 is definitely sarcastic.
Its message is simple: the dark lady's beauty cannot be compared to the beauty of a goddess or to that found in nature, for she is but a mortal human being. There is no pinkish blush on her cheeks. This particular sonnet gives a really nice example of the turn. Unfortunately, it just makes her sound uglier. He is describing the image of her beauty is just as his love is for nature.
It doesn't make sense to compare women to images they can't possibly live up to. It sounds like a different language of some kind. We call this a couplet. This poem explains the imperfections and even flaws of the writer's love. I think so, and so I like the sonnet : Thanks for reminding me of the wonderful Sting album! Finally, even though the speaker can't be serious for more than two lines, he still shows, at the end, that he has a sincere and thoughtful side, and that he can let his guard down long enough to let people see that side. Old love poems bring to mind flowery language and the kind of unrealistic glop that you could never bring yourself to say with a straight face.
Shakespeare also makes use of hyperbole, or a figure of speech that makes a point through exaggeration. To show how this works, we can assign a letter to each rhyme: We'll show you how it works: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; A Coral is far more red than her lips' red; B If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; A If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. If so, what makes it seem that way? There are many ways to interpret how the poet's psychological state may have influenced stylistic choices in his writing, but these sonnets do not provide definitive proof. He has come to realize that she is far from perfect, yet that does not take away from his love for her. In Sonnet 130, the references to such objects of perfection are indeed present, but they are there to illustrate that his lover is not as beautiful -- a total rejection of Petrarch form and content. That form 14 lines of iambic pentameter with the last two lines rhyming is a dead giveaway.
This suggest that the smiling faces are fake and these friends may really be enemies. The chatter between the various entities⦠1596 Words 7 Pages Maira L. Has he ever seen a goddess? He has shown us in this sonnet that chasing after some made-up ideal will only make you miserable. However, while the narrator's honesty in sonnet 130 may seem commendable, we must not forget that Shakespeare himself was a master of the compliment and frequently made use of the very same sorts of exaggerated comparisons satirized here. As the whole sonnet is a parody of the conventional love sonnets written by Shakespeare's contemporaries, one should think of the most common meaning of reeks, i. He realizes the imperfections in humans. Other poets might make up fancy comparisons for their lovers, pretending that they are as perfect as a goddess, as white as snow, etc.
Shakespeare seems to be having fun here, pushing his gross-out portrait as far as it will go. What do those differences say about the idea of love in this poem? Do you ever tell them about these imperfections? He's playing with our associations with these colors. Line 11-12 I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. It is also one of the few of Shakespeare's sonnets with a distinctly humorous tone. Sonnet 130 Summary Sonnet 130 is like a love poem turned on its head. He explains that although his mistress is imperfect, he finds his love special and 'rare.
One final note: To Elizabethan readers, Shakespeare's comparison of hair to 'wires' would refer to the finely-spun gold threads woven into fancy hair nets. Does it feel like an old poem? V99 27 February 2013 Outline I. The Flimsy cloth reminds me of the ups , downs and unknowns of love. The first line picks up speed, patters along gracefully, and then comes to a stop. Shakespeare in his sonnet numbered 53, compares all beauty to his friend, and criticizes for trying to be as good as his friend. . The imperfections of her hair and breasts are what make this woman a natural human and this may be the true reason of why he loves his mistress.
Instead of a woman who smells like a rose, he gives us a woman who smells bad. Although this poem is short it has so much meaning to it. In my opinion this poem does provide an illusion that many man or spouses may have in their marriage. O'Donnell is a dual-certified educator with experience writing curriculum and teaching grades preK through 12. If you compare the stanzas of Astrophel and Stella to Sonnet 130, you will see exactly what elements of the conventional love sonnet Shakespeare is light-heartedly mocking. Some are more melancholy than others, but no sonnet seems insulting - except this one! Conclusion William Shakespeare was a well known poet and play writer who lived from 1564-1616. You might also enjoy and.
We hear a lot about her, but for the most part, the information is rather vague and negative. The Dark Lady, who is featured in this poem, is also featured in sonnets 127-154, but this time there is a twist. Long story short: Shakespeare is the master. While we're on the subject of appearance, we should point out that there is a definite racial side to this talk about beauty. In fact, some coral is white. A Petrarchan sonnet states that love must never change; this poem offers a more genuine expression of love by describing a natural woman.