8/8/2019 Essay One - Sonnet Analysis

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Tory Talayi

Brit Lit 210

October 19, 2010

No Better Place Than the Sun

In late Elizabethan times, the leaves of negative connotations have a specific way of

denoting the root of a poets tree. Sonnets, like nature, contain an essence of purity. The

concepts of cause and effect, action and consequence, can be anatomized in William

Shakespeares My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun.

Imagine a time where a beloved Protestant Virgin Queen has died, and a controversial

Scottish King takes the throne. Although, the sonnet may or may not have been written prior to

the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the scenery is still the same. Performances of the screenplays

William Shakespeare wrote are a powerful and a popular pastime. It was affordable to all

classes, and the Globe theater was booming with people aspiring to be as great as he.

In the late 16th

and early 17th

centuries, Sonnets became trendy and commonly constructed

throughout England. Play writer William Shakespeare wrote a cluster of one hundred and fifty

seven poems, and My mistress; eyes are nothing like the sunis number one hundred and fifty.

The words of depiction in the poem are conflicting. Words, such as: Sun, coral, roses, perfume,

music and snowhave positive associations of imagery within them. And other poets of the time

used these descriptive words in their sonnets to express their love. The interesting twist in this

particular sonnet is Shakespeares way of turning these positive denotations into negative ones

in order to describe his love. My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun, No such roses see I

in her cheeks. The reader will immediately envision an unattractive and unappealing mistress.

In a time where a beautiful womans skin and breast were often described as whiter than snow,

8/8/2019 Essay One - Sonnet Analysis

2/2

Tory Talayi

Brit Lit 210

October 19, 2010

Shakespeare writes if snow be white, why then her breasts are dun. In England dun was

used as a negative connotation meaning tinted or brown. Golden wires were considered an

ideal expression of a ladys locks. Shakespeare furthermore versed black wires grow on her

head. This rhythmic pattern throughout the sonnet continues to baffle the reader/listener.

Why is his mistress being described as so undesirable? Why write a poem to condescend the

appearance of a woman he chose to be his mistress? The answer is simple, because he did not.

It is a very introspective look at true love. Anyone can be in love if there are red carpets,

expensive dresses that pronounce ample breasts, champagne and an immense dowry. But,

true love is peeing with the door open, picking up old dirty socks, holding ones head over the

john when ones had too much ale to drink. It is easy to love beautiful Queen Katherine Kitty

Howard, but to love, Plain Jane Seymourthat is true love.

If there are two wolves fighting inside each and every one of us, and one wolf

represents greed, materialism, shallowness, arrogance and selfishness, and the other

represents peace, love, joy, selflessness, sharing, truth and humility, then which will win? The

wolf that is being fed the most. Shakespeare is feeding the second wolf.

WORKS CITED:

Great Sonnets:D

over Thrift Edition, Page #16. My Mistress Eyes are nothing like the

sun