Name: _________________________________________________ Period _______________

Sonnet 130

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

*dun = brownish gray

Simple paraphrase of the issue/problem and theme/solution:

Here is the issue/problem:

My lady love does not compare to the colors I see around me. Her lips are not as red as sea coral and her body is not as white as snow.

In fact, my lady love does not have red cheeks like the roses or even smell very good when compared to some perfumes.

Even though I enjoy hearing her talk, her voice is not very musical. She does not walk like a goddess walks.

Here is the “turn:”

Theme/Solution: In reality, though, my lady is actually greater than all of the people and items I just mentioned above. My lady love is greater than these because she is so far above them that they cannot compare to her. Other false poets have tried to say that their ladies are more beautiful than roses, but I believe them to be liars. I just tell the truth.

Some scholars believe that this sonnet is a parody of the typical Petrarchan version of love.

Shakespeare claims to be the honest lover in his description of his lady love. Shakespeare

plays around with the concept of the beautiful maiden and the love for the maiden in the

format of the sonnet, but explains his own “truth” in the final couplet above.