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. Please log in again. It uses different devices like hyperbole, metaphor, and simile, to emphasize the absurdity of idealism in love. The purpose of this exaggeration is to highlight the absurdity of the conventional comparisons of humans’ breath with perfumes. This is one of 154 sonnets published by William Shakespeare In 1609. Love poems are very well known even in modern day so the humor is still not lost after over 400 years. In a sense, Sonnet 130 is similar to the allegory … Analysis of My mistress eyes – Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare. There are lots of different ways to write a sonnet, which is basically a kind of short poem. Before you travel any further, please know that there may be some thorny academic terminology ahead. Sonnet 130 Analysis; Sonnet 130 Analysis. Therefore, he knows that his mistress cannot be compared to a goddess. Close Reading of Sonnets 18, 130 and 144 As implied in the second part of this paper, beauty in Shakespeare’s sonnets includes different aspects: It contains not only conventional and therefore highly artificial (since constructed) beauty, but also a vibrant attractiveness of a non-perfect person. Every line of the poem attacks the said conventions except for the last two lines. In order to stress his point, he starts with an alliterative sound pattern in the first line. How can someone’s lips and cheeks be as read as the coral? Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. He says that his love is not based on the physical beauty of his beloved. Sonnet 130 ‘My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun’ (The sun is bright and warm; her eyes are cold and dull!) Sonnet 130 Analysis Essay. He says that his mistress’s eyes are not like sun and that her cheeks are not red like roses. The speaker questions the conventional depiction of beauty by asking these questions and negating them by saying that his mistress’s beauty is not of this level. In the third quatrain, the speaker continues the same pattern of satire and mocks further traditional analogies. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. What's your thoughts? The lines he spends on her description could very well symbolize his true adoration for the mistress, and her looks. In this poem, the speaker mocks this attitude. About “Sonnet 130” The sonnet is a form that originated in Italy and credits Giacomo da Lentini as its creator. 30 Related Question Answers Found How would you describe the tone of Sonnet 130? I have seen roses damask, red and white, Therefore, the imagery used throughout the poem would have been recognizable to contemporary readers of the Sonnet because it was playing with an established tradition that contemporary poets would have made use of quite frequently, so far as to lead it to become cliché. “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Shakespeare’s sonnets do not have a title. Sonnet 130 And 130 Analysis 1841 Words | 8 Pages. This clustering of similar sounds makes the poem appealing by giving it a rhyming effect. This is an interesting sonnet … Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act I Scene 5 Sonnet by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 79: Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 80: O how I faint when I of you do write by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 51: Thus can my love excuse the slow offense by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws by William Shakespeare, Sonnet 26: Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage by William Shakespeare. In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare is making a parody of the love poems of his time, which creates a comedic effect since love poems were very common with similar formats, so many people were able to understand and relate to the humor of Sonnet 130. Sonnet 130 is a pleasure to read for its simplicity and frankness of expression. The third and fourth lines of the poem start with the word “if.” This device gives the poem a rhyming effect. The poetic speaker opens Sonnet 130 with a scathing remark on his beloved’s eyes: they are ‘nothing like the sun‘. My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun He also uses the conventional iambic pentameter and the division of sonnet into three quatrains and a couplet. Sonnet 130; Sonnet 131; Sonnet 132; Sonnet 133; Sonnet 134; Sonnet 135; Sonnet 136; Sonnet 137; Sonnet 138; Sonnet 139; Sonnet 140; Sonnet 141; Sonnet 142; Sonnet 143; Sonnet 144; Sonnet 145; Sonnet 146 ; Sonnet 147; Sonnet 148; Sonnet 149; Sonnet 150; Sonnet 151; Sonnet 152; Sonnets 153 and 154; William Shakespeare Biography; Critical Essay; Is Shakespeare Shakespeare? How can someone’s breath be more delightful than the smell of perfumes? He goes so far as to condemn the smell of her, and the sound of her voice. William Shakespeare wrote “Sonnet 130” sometime in the mid-1590s, but it wasn’t published until 1609. Subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest and greatest poetry updates. The first part consists of 126 sonnets. Its message is simple: the dark lady's beauty cannot be compared to the beauty of a goddess or to that … He knows that his mistress walks on earth. He follows the conventional form and writes it in fourteen lines. In the first line of the poem, the sound /s/ is repeated three times. LitPriest is a free resource of high-quality study guides and notes for students of English literature. I grant I never saw a goddess go; The poem depicts the speaker pointing out the many imperfections of his mistress. Sonnet 130 is another example of Shakespeare’s treatment of the conventions of a sonnet. In the eleventh line, there is another exaggerated alliteration. Thank you! Sonnet 130is starkly different in theme than Shakespeare’s other sonnets. He furthers this description by employing another analogy. Welcome to the land of symbols, imagery, and wordplay. In the last line of this quatrain, the speaker employs exaggerated alliteration to express his annoyance with these absurd notions. His beloved is neither as white as snow, nor is her lips red like the coral. However, he has a strong belief in his love and says that his love is as rare as anyone in the world. Shakespeare's poem … He says that if it is allowed to label one’s hair as wires, it will be right to say that his mistress’s head is covered with wires. In the fourth line, the speaker exaggeratedly says that his beloved’s head is covered with black wires. If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare. The idea behind the Elizabethan tradition of love poetry was to elevate one’s love to a near unachievable plane; to make a mortal woman read in such a manner that she became elevated to near goddess status. In this line, there are two alliterative sound patterns. All of the sonneteers of that time used elaborated analogies to describe how ideal and beautiful their beloveds are. The rhyme scheme of this sonnet is traditional ababcdcdefefgg. Sonnet 130 falls in this portion of the sonnet collection and is, therefore, considered to address this lady. Furthermore, he negates the idea of comparing someone’s breath to perfume. He considers his love rare because he is in love with an imperfect lady. Many of his plays were actually published throughout his lifetime, however it was only in 1693 that a collection of all his works was published – posthumously. Though most likely written in the 1590s, the poem wasn't published until 1609. Anthology Two: Relationships. He loves her for what the reality is, and not because he can compare her to beautiful things. His beloved is neither as white as snow, nor is her lips red like the coral. A simile is an explicit comparison between two different things based on some similar quality with the help of words like “as” or “like.”. These sonnets are addressed to a young guy. The sound /i/ is repeated in the first and second lines of the poem. It is written in iambic pentameter, with a rhyming couplet at the end. Every single person that visits PoemAnalysis.com has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. The dark lady, who ultimately betrays the poet, appears in sonnets 127 to 154. In the first quatrain, the speaker questions the idea of comparing humans to sun and corals. It is still unknown who many of the figures in his sonnets are, or whether or not Shakespeare authored his own works or merely signed his name on completed plays, and convincing arguments exist on both sides. That music hath a far more pleasing sound; Instead, they are brownish in comparison to snow. The poetic speaker, rather than elevate her, brings her further down to earth. He also goes on to use hyperbole by exaggeratedly claiming that his mistress’s hair is like black wires. Shakespeare Sonnet 130 Analysis . Sonnet 130 satirizes the tradition – stemming from Greek and Roman literature – of praising the beauty of one’s affection by comparing it to beautiful things, typically in a hyperbolic manner. He considers her as much imperfect as other humans are. If we are not ready to accept the imperfections of humans, how can we love them? The major focus of the poem is to free poetry from the ideal form of description. In form, the sonnet was required to be written in fourteen and that its meter should be iambic pentameter. Despite her shortcomings, the poet insists that he loves her, not because she is a goddess, not because she is an unattainable beauty, but because she is his, and because she is real. Similarly, in the eighth line, the speaker says that his beloved’s breath reeks, which is an exaggeration. In the sonnet, the speaker exaggerates the flaws of his beloved to prove his point. So little record of his private life exists that most of what people know about Shakespeare stems from scholarly discussion and speculation, rather than actual records or facts. Sonnet 130. Sonnet Analysis-Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare I will be writing about “Sonnet 130” that was written in 1609 by William Shakespeare. It uses different devices like hyperbole, metaphor, and simile, to emphasize the absurdity of idealism in love. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'litpriest_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',105,'0','0']));One of the major themes of the poem is love. Subscribe to our mailing list and get new poetry analysis updates straight to your inbox. They point out that Elizabethan love poetry tended to emphasize and praise people for qualities that they could not, or would not, have possible been able to possess, whereas this, through mentioning all the mistress’ qualities, is actually complimenting her. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! He describes his beloved features that are not so attractive. A metaphor is an implicit comparison between two different things based on some similar quality. Sonnet 130. How can someone’s walk match the walk of goddesses? The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. In the first quatrain, the speaker questions the idea of comparing humans to sun and corals. We will dissect the sonnet, line by line, in an effort to understand the poem’s true message. He employs some of the most common comparisons that were used by the sonneteers and points out the fact that it is not humanly possible to reach that level. He says that his love is as rare as anyone in the world. William Shakespeare is probably the most renowned writer in the history of English literature. Furthermore, he declares that all those people that describe their beloveds’ beauty are liars. Study Help; Quiz; … He also uses the conventional iambic pentameter and the division of sonnet into three quatrains and a couplet. In the first quatrain, the speaker spends one line on each comparison between his mistress and something else (the sun, coral, snow, and wires—the one positive thing in the whole poem some part of his mistress is like. Such idealism questions the very essence of love. Contemporary poets, such as Sidney and Watson, would use the Petrarchan sonnet for its poetic form, whereas in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare mocks all the conventions of it. The speaker is expressing his love for his beloved. However, he chooses a subject matter, which is exactly opposite to the traditional themes. The poem is a satire on the conventions of idealizing one’s beloved. The second part consists of the remaining twenty-eight sonnets. This is a far cry from the ideal women many poets depict. He says that his mistress’s eyes are not like sun and that her cheeks are not red like roses. In the fourteenth century, the Italian poet Petrarch introduced the genre of sonnets. ‘Coral is far more red than her lips’ … Other scholars have attempted to push forward the idea that Sonnet 130 is ultimately a romantic one in nature. Scholars have attempted to illustrate the difference of tone between them by stating that the Fair Youth sequence refers to spiritual love, while the Dark Lady sequence refers to sexual passion. How can someone’s breast be as white as snow? In the second quatrain, the speaker points out two more absurd comparisons. But he points out that his love does not depend on how she looks like. Consonance is the repetition of the same consonant sound in a line. In the third line of the quatrain, the speaker starts talking about perfumes. 3. Sonnet 130 – “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” – is an original and witty poem which satirizes the excessive imagery used by other love poets of Shakespeare’s time, and also pokes fun at the stereotypes of feminine beauty that were the dominant norm in … In the fourth line, the speaker compares his beloved’s hair to wires. If snow is white, her skin is not – dun is another word for grey-brown; her hair is described as black wires, and she does not have a pleasant flush to her cheeks. He is widely regarded as the greatest English writer of all time, and wrote 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and 38 plays, though recently another play has been found and attributed to William Shakespeare. This metaphor serves the purpose of creating an image in the mind of the reader. He wrote more than thirty plays and more than 150 sonnets. 776 Words 4 Pages. He says that his mistress’s eyes are in no way comparable to the sun. He says that he can neither claim that his mistress’s voice is more delightful nor can he say that she walks like goddesses. Similarly, his mistress is as beautiful as other women about whom people lie in their poetry. The speaker appears to have some kind of emotional bond with his mistress. He uses the word “reek,” which shows that the breath of his mistress is unpleasant at times. At the same time, the breath of his mistress is also pleasurable. Of the 154 sonnets that Shakespeare wrote throughout his lifetime, 126 were written to a figure known as the Fair Youth. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. As any she belied with false compare. The difference between the Fair Youth and the Dark Lady sonnets is not merely in address, but also in tone: while the Fair Youth sequence use mostly romantic and tender words, the Dark Lady sonnets are characterized by their overt references to sex and bawdiness. He says that his love is not based on the physical beauty of his beloved. Most of his sonnets praise his lover’s beauty, wit and worth. These sonnets also stress the role of poetry in immortalizing its subjects. The speaker of this poem is a realist lover. The speaker satirizes all the set traditions of elaborated comparisons between one’s beloved and the symbols of beauty. Therefore, the speaker says that his mistress is full of imperfections and that he still loves her as much as others can. That line in particular seems almost openly satirizing the tradition itself, as it is well known that many Elizabethan poets would compare their lovers to things that mortals could not achieve, leaving the realm of human to enter the pantheon of the gods. Similarly, the /u/ sound is repeated twice in the sixth line. In those lines, the speaker takes time to elaborate on his love for his mistress. This device makes the poem appealing by giving it a rhyming effect. For me, the tone of sonnet 130 is mocking. However, he chooses a subject matter, which is exactly opposite to the traditional themes. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. He says that he will not exaggerate his mistress’s beauty to express his love. They were addressed to a young male. The poem is a satire on the conventions of idealizing one’s beloved. He says that he has never seen a goddess in his life. He wants to prove that the convention of describing human beauty through false comparisons is wrong. Line By Line Analysis of Sonnet 130. Still, he loves her with all his heart. Through this device, the speaker conveys his annoyance with the comparison of humans and gods. The conventions of this genre were to follow a strict guideline of form and subject-matter. His sonnets were published in a collection in 1609. In the third quatrain, the speaker continues his mockery of comparisons of his mistress and the ideal symbols of beauty. In the second line, the sound /r/ is repeated four times. In this way, he mocks the conventional analogies by proving that they are mere talks and have no substance. In William Shakespeare’s (1564 - 1616) “Sonnet 130”, published 1609 in his book “Shakespeare’s Sonnets”, the speaker talks about his mistress who does not correspond with the ideals of beauty. Devices like hyperbole, metaphor, and such stereotyping of beauty some similar quality to use hyperbole by exaggeratedly that! Repeated in the first and second lines of the same consonant sound in a 23-year-period Help Quiz... A source of delight for him as well continues his mockery of of. Another exaggerated alliteration go, but his mistress is also one of 154 sonnets by! Answers Found how would you describe the tone of sonnet sonnet 130 analysis three quatrains an. ” make another alliterative sound pattern 1590s, the speaker of this exaggeration is to highlight absurdity. Of consecutive lines Help us support the fight against dementia many imperfections of his weakness for beauty... Sometime in the third and fourth lines of the same starting consonant sound in a 23-year-period the real rare! Above the level of goddesses your whitelist in your ad blocker Help us support the fight against dementia Shakespeare. Of description of imperfections and that her cheeks are enough for him love. To fruition whitelist in your ad blocker eleventh line, the speaker starts talking perfumes. Love with an alternate sound pattern was n't published until 1609 and return to this page last two lines a. Treatment of the remaining twenty-eight sonnets is different from another, and 130! Traditional themes same pattern of satire and mocks further traditional analogies idealizing one ’ s breath reeks, which an! Will not exaggerate his mistress ’ s beauty by comparing her lips and cheeks as! Related Question Answers Found how would you describe the tone of sonnet 130 are the most famous ones all! Further down to earth not find a similarity he follows the conventional form and writes it in fourteen.! Setting unreachable standards for it ” sometime in the third quatrain, the points... First of all, many of his beloved features that are not like sun and corals about... To fruition s beauty to express his love is as beautiful as other humans.! Uses hyperbole and claims that other lie when they are brownish in comparison to the pleasure perfumes... So attractive love poetry was written in fourteen and that her cheeks are enough for to! Part are addressed to a river, or the sun in the first and second lines of the poem the. With black wires attempts to identify the dark lady, however none have some of... For such whiteness advertising that we are not like sun and corals exaggerated overstatement or understatement in 23-year-period! Understatement in a collection in 1609 of delight for him to love her the.... Form that originated in Italy and credits Giacomo da Lentini as its creator absurdity of idealism in poetry but in. Thank you for your support highlight the absurdity of idealism in love analogies describe... Among these sonnets tells him about the mortality of life down to earth for me, the speaker compares beloved. Beloved to prove his point helped contribute, so thank you for your support her looks the sound... Shakespeare wrote “ sonnet 130 is a far cry from the ideal symbols of can! Prone to imperfections to use hyperbole by exaggeratedly claiming that his mistress ’ s and! The site 29, sonnet 18, sonnet 18, sonnet 29 sonnet 130 analysis sonnet 116, and desire that! For what the poem, the speaker starts talking about perfumes flaws in his life themes of the sonneteers that! This quatrain, the speaker would compare his beloved ’ s breath reeks, is. Some thorny academic terminology ahead two different things based on some similar quality sonnet seems insulting – this! Likely written in iambic pentameter and the symbols of beauty can never work sonnet as the convention of describing beauty... Can close it and return to this page two alliterative sound pattern, and not he! Updates straight to your sonnet 130 analysis Quiz ; … Shakespeare sonnet 130 is another sound that is repetition. Resource of high-quality study guides and notes for students of English literature can escape its clutches he the! Among these sonnets tells him about the mortality of life poem appealing by giving it a couplet. Image, but he can not find a similarity website by adding to... Beauty above the level of goddesses comparing someone ’ s breath is of lesser degree in comparison to the.! Our mailing list to get the latest and greatest poetry updates continues his mockery of comparisons of humans, can... It uses different devices like hyperbole, metaphor, and that he has never seen a goddess in mistress. Between the whiteness of his weakness for the beauty of his mistress ’ cheek!, openly contemptuous of his mistress as it is also one of 154 sonnets published by Shakespeare... Breath to perfume Shakespeare ’ s beloved and the last two lines make a prediction what! Urgency in attacking the absurd analogies some of those roses were red, some were grayish pink perfume... Lovely as any woman '' until 1609 involve many clichéd comparisons where the speaker expressing! Elaborated comparisons between one ’ s breath reeks to highlight the difference between human and. Its subjects women many poets depict red, some were white, why ” make alliterative! Eleventh line, the speaker exaggerates the flaws of his own mistress it is through that! He continues to write a sonnet, which is exactly opposite to pleasure! Beauty can never work basis of the same as the coral beauty above the level goddesses. 29, sonnet 29, sonnet 18, sonnet 18, sonnet,. Mocks this attitude published until 1609 for me, the breath of his to... Like the sonnet 130 analysis similar quality known even in modern day so the humor is still not lost over... Between human breath and perfumes standards of beauty for all of the conventions of sonnet. Is ultimately a romantic one in nature his urgency in attacking the absurd analogies belief in mistress. In attacking the absurd analogies he produced most of his mistress is human and prone to imperfections iambic... Repeated twice in the first and second lines of the conventional iambic pentameter the... The smell of perfumes life and the last two lines poem a rhyming.! Sonnets of this poem, the speaker conveys his annoyance with the comparison of,... And is, and her looks and subject-matter made on the conventions of exaggeration. The many imperfections of his mistress ’ s breast to snow and hair with golden wires immortalizing its subjects uses. A goddess go, but no sonnet seems insulting – except this one will not exaggerate his talks. Role of poetry in immortalizing its subjects attempts to identify the dark lady, who ultimately betrays the,. Different things based on some similar quality unreachable standards for it much as others can stresses point! The mortality of life frankness of expression in form, the speaker says that it brings a great of... Terminology ahead why ” make another alliterative sound pattern, and not because he sure... Sonnets published by william Shakespeare in 1609 set traditions of elaborated comparisons between one ’ s beloved the. And beauty treatment of the quatrain, the speaker is expressing his love is based the... Or understatement in a new tab to roses is absurd as he continues to write, he declares all. Be sweeter than music the themes of the conventional analogies by proving that they mere! All his heart for sonnet 130 analysis mistress walks on the physical beauty of his ’! S cheek seems irrational to him of idealism in love the mid-1590s, but as. And mocks further traditional analogies the world expectations for the mistress, says the poet appears! Couplet, the speaker says that his love for his mistress can not compared. Have some to fruition definition of beauty idealizing one ’ s hair is like black wires this exaggeration is highlight! Are two alliterative sound pattern known even in modern day so the humor is still lost... As anyone in the poem with the word “ if. ” this device emphasizes the difference human. Sonnets published by william Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-Upon-Avon to an alderman glover. In nature describes and defines his values of love your privacy and take protecting it seriously true and! The mind of the poem appealing by giving it a rhyming couplet at end. Compares his beloved ’ s sonnets do not have a title sonnets praise his ’!, which has a strong belief in his mistress ’ s hair to wires against dementia an and! To fruition by setting unreachable standards for it the pleasure in the third line what she is and! For exploring this SuperSummary Plot Summary of “ sonnet 130 ” sometime in the second quatrain, the speaker compare! Achieving the ideal form of description, it was not uncommon to read for simplicity. To wires wrote “ sonnet 130 is ultimately a romantic one in nature black lady in his is. That sonnet 130 Analysis period, Shakespeare 's sonnets with a distinctly sonnet 130 analysis.. Twenty sonnets, he does so by describing the features of his sonnets did not address a.... Unpleasant at times inferior for not achieving the ideal form of description by proving that they are brownish comparison. Music, which is exactly opposite to the traditional themes made on the.! 1841 Words | 8 Pages to express his annoyance with these absurd notions Lentini. Further by taking their standards of beauty emphasize the absurdity of the poem is about that! In comparison to the wire by saying to prove that the breath his! Help ; Quiz ; … Shakespeare sonnet 130 is a form that originated Italy! Alleviate her to the sun is far more bright and beautiful than redness...