Sonnet 130
by William Shakespeare
Mrs. Keener & Mrs. Smith,
English 12 Extraordinaires
January 2016
6:28am
“If hairs be wires,
black wires grow on her
head.”
“I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,”
“And yet I think
my love as rare”
“As any she belied
with false compare.”
Sonnet 130: Shakespearean
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; A
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; B
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; A
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. B
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, C
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; D
And in some perfumes is there more delight C
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. D
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know E
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; F
I grant I never saw a goddess go; E
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: F
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare G
As any she belied with false compare. G
Parody: an imitation or exaggeration
of a certain style for comedic effect.
Shakespeare makes fun of his own
poems, for example using “the sun”
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; to point out his mistress’ flaws
Coral is far more red than her lips' red; instead of praise her (see Sonnet 18).
Figurative Language
Metaphor
snow : breasts : -dun If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
roses : cheeks
Shakespeare uses typical poetic
metaphors against themselves,I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
pointing out her flaws instead of But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
Denotation
praising her perfection And in some perfumes is there more delightreeks: smell strongly &
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.unpleasantly, stinks; be
suggestive of something
unpleasant or undesirable
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.
Tone: Mock-Heroic & Sarcastic
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Sarcastic: cutting
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
Mock-Heroic: a satire or
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; expression or remark;
parody that mocks common, If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. relentlessly haughty
classical stereotypes
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
● “...eyes are nothing
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
like the sun”
And in some perfumes is there more delight
● “Coral is far more red Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
than her lips’ red”
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
● “...in some perfumes
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
there is more delight /
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
Than in the breath
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the
ground:
that from my mistress
reeks”
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
[arrogantly superior].
● “My mistress’ eyes
are nothing like the
sun;”
● “My mistress, when
she walks, treads on
the ground:”
● “...my love [is] as
rare / As any she
belied with false
compare.”