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Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

In the sonnet "My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun," William Shakespeare flaunts the conventions of traditional love poetry, while still managing to convey true affection and romance. Instead of idolizing his beloved, Shakespeare spends most of the poem pointing out her flaws. He begins the sonnet by declaring "My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;/Coral is far more red than her lips' red" (1-2). Shakespeare reveals all of his mistress' physical shortcomings, not because he does not find her attractive or appealing, but because he wishes to demonstrate that love does not require that one's partner be perfect. Indeed, Shakespeare explains that "I grant I never saw a goddess go;/My mistress when she walks treads on the ground" (11-12), but he still loves and cherishes her anyway. The sonnet thus demonstrates that the metaphors and similes used in traditional romantic poetry tend to be over exaggerated and unrealistic, as Shakespeare declares that he "think(s) my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare" (13-14). Shakespeare is in love with a real woman, who is flawed in some ways, but he still adores her and considers her a treasure. In this sense, one might argue that the sonnet serves as a kind of 'realistic' love poetry.

Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 130." Shakespeare's Sonnets. Ed. Katherine Duncan-Jones. London: Thomas Nelson, 1997.

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Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 09:54, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1696556.html