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.”

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

Sonnet 130: Shakespearean

Figurative Language

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.

Parody: an imitation or exaggeration of a certain style for comedic effect. Shakespeare makes fun of his own poems, for example using “the sun”

to point out his mistress’ flaws instead of praise her (see Sonnet 18).

Denotation reeks: smell strongly &

unpleasantly, stinks; be suggestive of something

unpleasant or undesirable

Metaphor snow : breasts : -dun

roses : cheeks Shakespeare uses typical poetic metaphors against themselves,

pointing out her flaws instead of praising her perfection

Tone: Mock-Heroic & Sarcastic 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.

Sarcastic: cutting expression or remark; relentlessly haughty [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.”

Mock-Heroic: a satire or parody that mocks common, classical stereotypes ● “...eyes are nothing

like the sun” ● “Coral is far more red

than her lips’ red” ● “...in some perfumes

there is more delight / Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks”