Grey Clawson
AP Literature
B. Vogt
31 Aug 2010
Sonnet Analysis
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.
My woman’s eyes are not bright.
My woman’s lips are not very red.
Her skin is not light but is rather dark.
Her hair is wirey and black.
He has seen pink roses.
Her cheeks are not so rosey.
Her perfumes could smell better.
The breath of his woman is foul.
He loves to hear her voice.
Though he knows there is music more pleasing.
He has never seen a goddess.
But his mistress treads the ground.
His love is rare.
His mistress’ beauty is ‘false’ in terms of society’s expectations.
One might think or come to the realization that Shakespeare finds his
woman a brute when reading “Sonnet 130”. It turns out that Shakespeare truly
found his woman to be one-of-a-kind, just not like all other women. When
closely reading “Sonnet 130”, one can pick out and analyze poetic devices.
Throughout most of the sonnet it seems as if Shakespeare is disgusted by
his mistress. Yet at line thirteen the tone shifts when Shakespeare says “and
yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare” showing that he truly loves his mistress.
While her beauty is ‘false’ in terms of society, he still finds her beautiful.
Throughout the poem Shakespeare uses many different literary devices.
One example is a false simile when he says “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like
the sun;”. Shakespeare also uses a simile when he says his “love as rare”.
After all we find out the turn that Shakespeare truly does love his mistress
and does not find her a brute, Shakespeare utilizes several different poetic and
literary devices like the simile and personification.