Sonnet 130 text. Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like… 2022-10-30
Sonnet 130 text
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Sonnet 130, titled "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun," is a poem written by William Shakespeare that playfully mocks the typical Petrarchan sonnet's depiction of a woman as a perfect, unattainable goddess. In contrast, Shakespeare's speaker openly admits that his mistress is not conventionally beautiful, but he still loves and appreciates her for who she is.
The poem begins with the speaker declaring that his mistress' eyes are "nothing like the sun," a common metaphor for beauty in Renaissance literature. He goes on to describe her various physical features, stating that her lips are not as red as coral and her skin is not as white as snow. He also mentions that her hair is not as golden as the sun and her voice is not as sweet as music.
Despite these less-than-flattering comparisons, the speaker does not seem to mind his mistress' imperfections. In fact, he seems to find them endearing and even prefers them to the exaggerated beauty of the traditional Petrarchan mistress. He says that his mistress' eyes are "gray and ordinary," but he still finds them beautiful. He also admits that he does not need her to be perfect, saying that "I love to hear her speak, yet well I know / That music hath a far more pleasing sound."
Overall, Sonnet 130 is a humorous and affectionate poem that celebrates the unique beauty of the speaker's mistress. It challenges the idea that true beauty must conform to certain societal standards and instead suggests that real beauty lies in the unique qualities of an individual. The speaker's love for his mistress is genuine and unconditional, and he finds joy in her imperfections rather than being disappointed by them.
No Fear Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Sonnet 130
² and displays subtle disdain for relationships ³belied by false comparison. That is why he does not measure his love on the worldly scale of beauty. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. We begin with a light insult saying her eyes aren;t as beautiful or radiant as the sun. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know I love hearing her speak but I know… Another two-line thought. Finally, for a stylistic dénouement Shakespeare effectively uses literary devices such as rhythm, rhyme, simile, and metaphor to enliven his words. His second meaning is a more complex literary critique.
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Sonnet 130 Full Text and Analysis
Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like… Poetry Foundation agenda angle-down angle-left angleRight arrow-down arrowRight bars calendar caret-down cart children highlight learningResources list mapMarker openBook p1 pin poetry-magazine print quoteLeft quoteRight slideshow tagAudio tagVideo teens trash-o. The one on the left presents a list of literary elements that are usually contained in poems whereas the column on the right can easily be filled out by the student or the class. Yet the imperfections add up to a beguiling, admiring portrait of his lover. First, he commentates on love as opposed to lust. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. 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.
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Sonnet 130: My Mistress'Eyes
When writing actively involves the audience, as Sonnet 130 does, it sets itself apart from other works that simply speak to the reader. 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. Most obviously, the poem commentates on love versus lust. In a traditional sonnet, the beloved is compared to heavenly objects, or the speaker swears his binding love for the woman to heaven. Still pretty mean though.
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Sonnet 130 Full Text
Finally, in his deepest meaning, Shakespeare implies all people should accept imperfections they can not change. 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. If you want to know more about the iambic pentameter just watch the following video: LnT A user of the website has just reminded me of a wonderful song: "Sister Moon", by Sting from "Nothing like the sun". And the poet is arguing against the writing of blazons in its entirety because of the false and unrealistic comparisons they make for people. In a sense, Sonnet 130 is similar to the allegory of the cave because it has a profound meaning that the reader must search for himself.
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Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like…
Wait for it… Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks Than the breath that comes out of my mistress. I have seen roses damasked, red and white I have seen roses that are red and white in colour. Most obviously, Shakespeare uses rhyme and rhythm to make the poem more aesthetically pleasing. I love to hear her speak, but I also know that That music has a much more pleasing sound. He thinks his love is just as special, just as rare as any of these women spoken about in blazons.
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Shakespeare's Sonnets Sonnet 130 Translation
² The sound-oriented devices Compositely, Shakespeare does a wonderful job in his 130th sonnet. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. I love to erha her kpaes; ety I onkw tylcferpe llwe atth umsci ahs a raf mroe aesntpal onsdu. Perhaps, through this Shakespeare wishes to convey that all people should love themselves even though they are not perfect. 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. Contrasting conventional form with an anti-Petrarchan sonnet, one that states what the women lacks instead of what she has, Shakespeare hints that he disagrees with the common practice of praising a women for characteristics she may, but probably does not, possess.
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Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun Poem Summary and Analysis
² Shakespeare also employs metaphors such as ³black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white. Here the poet is saying she has the opposite of that. Because Shakespeare recognizes her bodily shortcomings, he uses his true love to contrast lust. Pin Now, this sonnet is an interesting one in that it can almost fall into the world of satire. The larger implication, I think, is that no real love needs to boast of itself in this way.
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Sonnet 130 Analysis
That music hath a far more pleasing sound Music is more pleasant than her voice. If hairs can be compared with wires then black hairs grow on her head. Little by little the students get accustomed to constantly return to the text they are analyzing. Throughout the medieval courtly love tradition, red and white are used to symbolize valiant knights and honorable ladies. He spends the majority of the sonnet almost insulting the subject. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. Throughout the poem, he talks about the physical features of his mistress that do not match the standards of beauty.
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Explain the main theme in Sonnet 130.
Readers wonder why Shakespeare would highlight the flaws of the woman he loves so they hypothesize his intent. Another two line thought. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound. She is not at all stunning or marvelous like a goddess, but he still loves and adores her. I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. By doing this, he is saying that his love is more pure than the kind of love that must be expressed in lies.
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