William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare

• Sonnet 130

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Sonnet 130

• My mistress' eyes are nothing like the
  sunCoral is far more red, than her lips redIf
  snow be white, why then her breasts are dunIf
  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 cheeksAnd in some
  perfumes is there more delightThan in the breath
  that from my mistress reeks.I love to hear her
  speak, yet well I knowThat music hath a far more
  pleasing soundI grant I never saw a goddess go,
  My mistress, when she walks, treads on the
  groundAnd yet by heaven, I think my love as
  rare,As any she belied with false compare.

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Sonnet 130

• My mistress' eyes are nothing like the
  sun aCoral is far more red, than her lips
  red bIf snow be white, why then her breasts
  are dun aIf hairs be wires, black wires grow
  on her head. bI have seen roses damasked, red
  and white, cBut no such roses see I in her
  cheeks dAnd in some perfumes is there more
  delight cThan in the breath that from my
  mistress reeks. dI love to hear her speak, yet
  well I know eThat music hath a far more
  pleasing sound fI grant I never saw a goddess
  go, eMy mistress, when she walks, treads on
  the ground fAnd yet by heaven, I think my love
  as rare, gAs any she belied with false
  compare. g

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• First Three Quatrains
• Contrasts his mistress to stereotypical objects
  of beauty

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun (1)
• Her eyes do not look like the sun

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• Coral is far more red than her lips red (2)
• Her lips are not as red as coral

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun
  (3)
• Her skin is not as white as snow

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• If hairs be wires, black wires grown on her
  head (4)
• Her hair is wiry

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• I have seen roses damasked, red and white,/ But
  no such roses see I in her cheeks (5-6)
• She does not have a perfect hue to her complexion

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• And in some perfumes is there more delight/ Than
  in the breath that from my mistress reeks (7-8)
• Perfume smells better than her breath

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• I love to hear her speak, yet well I know/ That
  music hath a far more pleasing sound (9-10)
• Music sounds better than her voice

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• I grant I never saw a goddess go,/ My mistress,
  when she walks, treads on the ground (11-12)
• She does not walk as gracefully as a goddess

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• Couplet
• And yet, by Heaven, I think my love as rare As
  any she belied with false compare. (13-14)
• Presents the moral and purpose of the sonnet
• Their love is rare because, unlike other poets,
  he does not have to falsely compare her to things

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What Is The Poet Saying?

• The poet suggests their love is rare because he
  does not desire her to be something she is not.

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Poetic Devices

• Shakespearean Sonnet
• Rhyme Scheme
• abab cdcd efef gg
• three quatrains and one couplet

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Poetic Devices

• Shakespearean Sonnet
• ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
  ? ?
• My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun
• Iambic Pentameter

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Poetic Devices

• Simile
• My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun

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Poetic Devices

• Metaphor
• I grant I never saw a goddess go,/ My mistress,
  when she walks, treads on the ground
• most of the comparisons in the sonnet function as
  metaphors

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Poetic Devices

• Tone
• Ironic
• the sonnet appears to be humorous, but the
  couplet displays the deeply romantic tone of the
  poem