Download Ally Bishop Brit Lit 12 CP Mrs. Doklan 12/11/12 A. Sonnet 130

Ally Bishop
Brit Lit 12 CP
Mrs. Doklan
12/11/12
A. Sonnet 130 - William Shakespeare
B. Sonnet 130, is Shakespeare’s way of mocking all of the lovey dovey poems of that time
period. Shakespeare starts off his poem with this man, blatantly explaining all the flaws of his
mistress. The man mentions how his mistress’s breath reeks, and that music has a far more
pleasing sound then the sound of her voice. The man in this poem tears apart all of the mistresses
flaws, and then towards the end, explains how everything he just said was the opposite of what
he actually meant. The mistress is not perfect, and Shakespeare mocks society by over
exaggerating his mistress’s appearance, to show that we care more about an appearance than a
personality.
C. Breakdown of Sonnet 130
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.
His mistress eyes are not bright or beautiful
His mistress’s lips are dull in color
His mistress’s skin color is dull and pale
His mistress’s hair is black and messy
His mistress’s cheeks are pale in color
His mistress’s cheeks are pale in color
His mistress does not have nice breath
His mistress does not have nice breath
He loves the sound of her voice
But music sounds far more better than it
He has never seen a goddess walk
His mistress does not have a graceful walk
He believes his love is rare
His mistress has been misrepresented false
comparisons
D. Simile
i. “Eyes are nothing like the sun.”
ii. The man is trying to show that his mistress eyes are not bright and beautiful.
E. Personification
i. “Black wires grow on her head.”
ii. The man in the story is trying to show that his mistress’s hair is not brushed well,
comparing the “black wires” to the image of knotty hair.
F. Imagery
i. “Coral is far more red than her lips red.”
ii. The man is saying that his mistress’s lips are dull and pale in color.
G. Turn
i. “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare.”
ii. At the end of the sonnet the man “turns” his words around by stating that everything he
said throughout the sonnet was the opposite of what he actually meant.
H. Tone
i. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 has a humorous, light-hearted tone. Shakespeare uses this as
a way of mocking the typical love poems of that time. Instead of Shakespeare writing about
everything he loves and cherishes about his mistress, he decides to switch it up and talk about all
of his mistress’s flaws instead.
I. Theme
i. The theme in Sonnet 130 would be that ideal beauty does not exist. It is what is within
someone that makes them beautiful. Not everyone will look like the photo shopped model on a
vogue/guess magazine. Shakespeare dissects his mistress’s appearance by pointing out all of her
flaws. Shakespeare does this to mock society, and to show how much we care about appearance
over personality.
J. Citations
"Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 - My Mistress's Eyes." Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet
130 - My Mistress's Eyes. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
"Shakespeare's Sonnets Summary and Analysis." Shakespeare's Sonnets Study Guide : Summary
and Analysis of Sonnet 130. Grade Saver, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.
"Sonnet 130 Theme of Appearances." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.