An Analysis of Sonnet 130, by William Shakespeare
Ξ July 21st, 2009 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Old School Papers |
Old School Papers Post Number 1
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 damask’d, 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.
Of William Shakespeare’s one hundred fifty-four sonnets, his one hundred thirtieth is one of the most intriguing to examine. Written sometime in the mid-1590s, it was published, along with the rest of his sonnets, in 1609. Shakespeare’s collection of sonnets are concerned with four characters: the speaker, a handsome young man, an older woman, and another poet who is a rival of the speaker. In Sonnet 130, the speaker describes the woman that he loves in extremely unflattering terms but claims that he truly loves her, which lends credibility to his claim because even though he does not find her attractive, he still declares his love for her. (more…)