william shakespeare sonnet 130 essay

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Sonnet 130 Summary & Analysis by William Shakespeare

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

"Sonnet 130" was written by the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. Though most likely written in the 1590s, the poem wasn't published until 1609. Like many other sonnets from the same period, Shakespeare's poem wrestles with beauty, love, and desire. He tries to find a more authentic, realistic way to talk about these things in the sonnet, and gleefully dismisses the highly artificial poems of praise his peers were writing. Shakespeare's poem also departs from his contemporaries in terms of formal structure — it is a new kind of sonnet—the "Shakespearean" sonnet.

• Read the full text of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

The Full Text of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

1 My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 

2 Coral is far more red than her lips' red; 

3 If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; 

4 If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. 

5 I have seen roses damasked, red and white, 

6 But no such roses see I in her cheeks; 

7 And in some perfumes is there more delight 

8 Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. 

9 I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 

10 That music hath a far more pleasing sound; 

11 I grant I never saw a goddess go; 

12 My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. 

13    And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 

14    As any she belied with false compare.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Summary

“sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” themes.

Beauty and Love

• See where this theme is active in the poem.

Love, Personality, and the Superficial

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”.

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 damasked, 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. 

Lines 13-14

   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare     As any she belied with false compare.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Symbols

• See where this symbol appears in the poem.

“Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

Parallelism

End-stopped line, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” vocabulary.

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”

Rhyme scheme, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” speaker, “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” setting, literary and historical context of “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”, more “sonnet 130: my mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun” resources, external resources.

Harryette Mullen's "Dim Lady" — Read the full text of Harryette Mullen's "Dim Lady," a rewriting of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130.

"Sonnet 130" Glossary — A glossary and commentary on Sonnet 130 from Buckingham University.

1609 Quarto Printing of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 — An image of Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 as it appeared in its first printing, in 1609.

Reading of "Sonnet 130" — Ian Midlane reads "Sonnet 130" for the BBC, introduced by some smooth jazz.

Blazon Lady — See an image of Charles Berger's blazon lady and read Thomas Campion's contemporaneous blazon. 

Sidney's Astrophil and Stella #9 — Read the full text of Sidney's earlier blazon, Astrophil and Stella #9.  

LitCharts on Other Poems by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Sonnet 129: Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame

Sonnet 12: When I do count the clock that tells the time

Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth

Sonnet 141: In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes

Sonnet 147: My love is as a fever, longing still

Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws

Sonnet 20: A woman’s face with nature’s own hand painted

Sonnet 27: "Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed"

Sonnet 29: When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes

Sonnet 30: When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

Sonnet 33: Full many a glorious morning have I seen

Sonnet 45: The other two, slight air and purging fire

Sonnet 55: Not marble nor the gilded monuments

Sonnet 60: Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore

Sonnet 65 ("Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea")

Sonnet 71: No longer mourn for me when I am dead

Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold

Sonnet 94: "They that have power to hurt"

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Sonnet 130 Analysis Essay

Sonnet 130 is a poem written by William Shakespeare. Sonnet 130 is part of the Fair Youth Sonnets. Sonnet 130 talks about how the speaker will never love anyone as much as he loves his beloved (the “Fair Youth”). Sonnets are lyric poems that people commonly try to analyze through certain perspectives. Sonnets are usually written about a loved one, something the writer really cares about, or an idea that means something to them. Sonnet 130 is one of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

Sonnet 130 talks about his complete love for somebody and how he will never love anybody as much as he loves this person. Sonnet 130 was written during the Renaissance Period by William Shakespeare. Sonnets were a popular form of short poems because it allowed people to express their emotions and thoughts in a way that could be interpreted differently depending on who you asked about them. Sonnet 130 is part of one of Shakespeare’s bigger collections known as The Fair Youth Sonnets, which talks about his complete love for a male subject referred to as “the young man” or “Fair Youth”.

Sonnet 130 goes into detail how he will never love anyone as much as he loves this person and then ends with a rhetorical question at the end asking himself why that is, since all other things have an end except love which has no limit so why does love have an end? Sonnet 130 is a poem written during the Renaissance Period and Sonnet 130 was written by William Shakespeare. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters to him except his lover and that he will never love anyone as much as he loves them.

Sonnet 130 goes into detail about how no matter what happens, or what anyone else thinks of him, that they matter to him but his lover matters more than anything and everything. Sonnet 130 is a love poem written by William Shakespeare where he explains how nothing in the world matters to him other than his beloved (Fair Youth). Sonnets are poems that may be analyzed using different perspectives on who is reading it. Sonnets are usually written about a loved one, something that the writer really cares about, or an idea that may have meant something to them.

Sonnet 130 is part of William Shakespeare’s collection of Sonnets known as “The Fair Youth Sonnets”. Sonnet 130 talks about Shakespeare’s complete love for somebody and how he will never love anybody else as much as he loves them. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters to him except his lover and that he will never love anyone else as much as he loves them. Sonnet 130 goes into detail on how no matter what happens, or who thinks of him, that they matter but his lover matters more than anything and everything.

Sonnet 130 starts out by saying “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”, Sonnet 130 starts out by saying how the speaker’s beloved’s eyes don’t even compare to the beautiful sky. Sonnet 130 then goes into detail that his lover is more radiant than any precious stone or gold because he says “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red”. Sonnet 130 ends with a rhetorical question asking himself why his lover matters so much even though everything in life has an end except love which does not have an end.

Sonnet 130 was written during the Renaissance Period and Sonnets were popular form of short poems during this time because it allowed people to express their feelings and thoughts in a way that could be interpreted differently depending on who you ask about it. Sonnet 130 is part of William Shakespeare’s collection known as “The Fair Youth Sonnets”. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in the world matters to him other than his beloved.

Sonnet 130 starts off by saying “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”, Sonnet 130 starts off by explaining how the speaker’s beloved’s eyes don’t even compare to something as beautiful as the sky. Sonnet 130 goes on say that his lover is more radiant than any precious stone or gold because he says “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red”. Sonnet 130 then ends with a rhetorical question asking why his lover means so much to him even though everything has an end except love which does not have an end.

Sonnet 130 goes on to say “One might think her poor, because she is so fair” Sonnet 130 goes on to say how she may seem like she doesn’t have any money but he explains that his beloved has more than enough. Sonnet 130 was written by William Shakespeare during the Renaissance Period and Sonnets were very popular form of short poems during this time because it allowed people to express their feelings and thoughts without having a certain meaning or way of thinking behind them since Sonnets were ambiguous. Sonnet 130 talks about how nothing in life matters except for his beloved.

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, one of the most famous and quoted Sonnets. The Sonnets are a collection of 154 poems published in 1609 and dedicated to “the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets Mr. W.H.” Sonnet 130 is also known as “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” Sonnet 130 is written in the English Language, Sonnets are poems that have 14-lined rhymed stanzas. Sonnet 130 can be found in 1609 book by William Shakespeare called Sonnets.

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 damasked, 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 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. Sonnet 130 is an English Sonnet written by William Shakespeare that talks about how he feels his lover isn’t nearly as wonderful as other men claim their lovers are. Sonnet 130 is one of 154 sonnets known today as Sonnets from the Portuguese, which were published in 1609 . Sonnets are 14 line poems that have rhyming couplets at the end of every two lines.. There are three quatrains and one couplet at the end of Sonnet 130. Sonnet 130 has an English ABABCDCDEFEFGG form. There are three quatrains in Sonnet 130. Sonnet 130 is written in iambic pentameter, which means that there are ten syllables per line with each line having one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, except for the tenth line that has two stressed syllables to conclude the couplet. The rhyme scheme used in Sonnet 130 is AABCCCDDEEFFE.

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Sonnet 130 Analysis

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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“Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare – An In-Depth Analysis

William Shakespeare is well known for a vast array of poems and plays. While he did write a number of poems that were not sonnets, he is generally remembered for his sonnets specifically. Today, we will be having a look at one of his most interesting sonnets, and that is Sonnet 130 . This sonnet is also often known as My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun . So, if you want an answer to the question, “What is Sonnet 130 about?”, look no further! We will explore this in-depth in our Sonnet 130 analysis below.

Table of Contents

Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare

There are so many different examples of poems about love, including those by William Shakespeare, such as Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? that uphold a near-impossible ideal of beauty. This idealized form is something that is generally unattainable, and yet it is espoused by countless poets who view beauty in a muse-like way. However, the occasional poem comes along that entirely breaks that apart.

In terms of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, this is exactly the case. This poem serves as a means of satirizing the very ideals of beauty that figures like Shakespeare himself often upheld. It is a beautiful poem for this very reason. It sees someone as beautiful in a way that many poems, especially of the era, did not express. So, before we dive into our Sonnet 130 analysis, let’s first have a look at a few summary points.

Sonnet 130 Summary Points

If you truly want to understand My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun , we will need to engage in a full Sonnet 130 analysis, but not everyone has time for that. For those who don’t necessarily have the time, let’s instead first have a look at a few summarized points that may help:

• Sonnet 130 is a poem about beauty . This poem discusses various aspects of the appearance of a woman, but it focuses on the other side of beauty: ugliness. This still means that it is a poem about beauty, and the poem ultimately concludes by referring to a more inner beauty.
• Sonnet 130 is a satirical take on other poems about beauty. While many poems about beauty focus on a highly stylized interpretation of beauty, Sonnet 130 is instead concerned with breaking down this idealized version of beauty. In many ways, this poem mocks the usual way in which poems about beauty are written.
• Sonnet 130 can come across as mean-spirited. The way in which Shakespeare describes the woman who is being discussed in this poem can be construed as extremely rude. While the conclusion of the poem is far more positive about this woman, the mean-spirited language before that conclusion may turn some off the poem.

These few summarized points should help for those who do not have the time for our full Sonnet 130 analysis. However, if you do want to have an answer to the question, “What is Sonnet 130 about?”, you will need to keep reading.

And we will start that analysis with a brief look at the man behind it all.

Biography of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is one of the best-known writers of all time. The influence that this figure exerted on the English language is impossible to overstate. There are a multitude of new words and phrases that were either invented by Shakespeare or appeared in his texts for the first time. He has often become seen as the national poet of the English people and the language as a whole.

His immense fame and influence on the language and literature, in general, has earned him the title “the Bard”, and this is a fitting title. He was a poet, playwright, and actor, and while he is often best known for the many plays that he produced, he also wrote many of the most famous sonnets in the English language. Today, we’re going to check out one of the most famous of all the poems that he wrote.

A Note on Naming Conventions

If you are curious why this poem has mostly been referred to as “ Sonnet 130 ” in this article, it’s because that is what the poem is actually called. William Shakespeare did not name his sonnets. Instead, they are all numbered. However, regardless of this, they have come to be known by the first line in each of the poems. For this reason, we often know this particular poem as My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun rather than Sonnet 130 .

However, we will refer to both of those names throughout this analysis. And, speaking of our Sonnet 130 analysis, let’s get started.

An In-Depth Sonnet 130 Analysis

When it comes to an analysis of any Shakespearean sonnet, there are a few things to always remember. This is because he did not exactly vary his style of poetry from one sonnet to the next. For this reason, they are all Shakespearean/Elizabethan sonnets, and this means that they come with a specific rhyme scheme. In this case, the rhyme scheme is ABABCDCDEFEFGG.

On top of this, William Shakespeare is best known for writing his poetry in iambic pentameter. This is a metrical structure in which there is a specific beat. In this case, the beat is an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable. In addition, these syllables are in five pairs for a grand total of ten syllables per line. These are the basic elements of the analysis of any Shakespearean sonnet, and one should always remember them when diving into an analysis.

However, it’s now the time for the deeper dive! This time with a little more purpose. We are going to perform an in-depth Sonnet 130 analysis. We will perform this analysis by examining each of the quatrains of the poem before finally ending off with the final couplet of this poem.

So, let’s get going with our My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun analysis.

Quatrain One

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.

The very first line of the poem is where we are introduced to this idea of the mistress. She is stated to be his mistress, but this does not mean she is a wife or anything of the sort but rather someone whom the speaker sees as connected to him. And that first line also opens with the motif that will be a recurring feature of this poem: the use of unflattering comparisons to natural images.

The first image is that of the sun, and we are told that her eyes are not like the sun. This indicates that they do not glow. They are not vibrant and powerful. They are not special in that sense. There is little in this mistress that differentiates her, or at least by this point in the poem. The next line continues this idea.

The next comparison is between her lips and coral. It states that coral is far redder than her lips will ever be. This is the use of the natural image of something that we generally accept to be beautiful, coral, and it is applied to her body. This is a common feature in many poems about beauty, except that many poems about beauty will use these comparisons in a favorable sense. For instance, imagine if the poem had stated that her lips were like coral. That would be more what we would expect from a poem about beauty.

But the subversion found in this poem started with the very first line of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare.

The next line is yet another of these comparisons. This time around, it uses the image of pure white snow. Something that is usually seen as absolutely stunning. But it is used to say that while snow is gorgeous and white, her breasts are dull. The word “dun” is a rather old one, but it does not have any sense of positivity to it. These first few lines have appeared immensely insulting toward this woman.

And the next line is just as seemingly mean-spirited. This time, it refers to her hair, but not as something gorgeous that flows in the wind and is caught upon the breeze as if spied in a dream. No, these hairs are like black wires. They are not attractive, and they are not beautiful things that can be adored. The first quatrain comes to a close, and we have so far been presented with a very plain image.

Quatrain Two

I have seen roses damasked, 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.

The image of plainness persists in the second of the three quatrains of the poem. Now, we are given the image, in the first two lines, of roses. The speaker says that he has seen stunning red and white roses, and they are gorgeous things. However, her cheeks are not like them. She does not have rosy cheeks. Instead, we can probably assume that her cheeks are dun, like her breasts were described in the previous quatrain.

The first image is spread over two lines, and the same is true of the next image. While the first quatrain used one image per line, this quatrain has used a more enjambement style to present longer, and often meaner, statements on this mistress that the speaker is discussing. The second image uses the idea of perfume.

Many love poems mention the smell of a person. They smell lovely, like flowers! This image appears to evoke a similar idea. The first two lines in the quatrain specifically mentioned roses. However, we are, once again, given a mean image, and because of the contemporary connotations of this word, this is probably the line that sticks out the most to contemporary audiences, because the speaker states that her breath “reeks”. The use of the word “reeks” does not necessarily mean that her breath is foul-smelling, but there is a direct comparison between the smell of perfume and her breath. So, her breath, in comparison to perfume, reeks.

This is a very unpleasant image, but because of what has come before, it is unlikely that this means she smells. It is just another way of stating that she is rather average.

Quatrain Three

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.

The last of the quatrains opens with a change. We are now given the idea that he loves her. He has spent the entire poem being rather rude to and about her, but we are suddenly given this image of love. He uses this love to state that even though her voice is not like music, which is yet another negative image, it is one that he loves to hear. He knows that her voice is not magical and beautiful, yet he adores it.

The last two lines, which form one image, continue this switch toward positivity. However, it does so by calling attention to the more traditional kind of love poetry. He explicitly states that this mistress he so loves is not an angel. She does not glide through the air as if held aloft by divine powers because of her immense and unfathomable beauty! Instead, she is a person. She walks on the ground. She is not special. Or at least, she is not special in a more objective sense that many poems about beauty would have us believe about certain people. We have now seen the shift in tone, but the final couplet is what brings it all together. This is common in many Shakespearean sonnets, and it applies here too.

It is time for the final words of the poem, and they are the most beautiful of them all because they do not focus on the impossibility of beauty, but rather on the subjective reality of it.

Final Couplet

   And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

   As any she belied with false compare.

The last two lines of this poem speak from the first-person perspective to state that his love for her is a rare thing that he cherishes. There is no point to these false comparisons that are often made in poems about beauty. She does not have angelic hair, perfect skin, rosy cheeks, or a musical voice. She is a person. He loves her for the person that she is rather than the person that is usually discussed in poems about beauty. She is not idealized, she is real.

This is the end of the poem and the conclusion of our in-depth Sonnet 130 analysis. This poem is a criticism of sorts of the usual way in which beauty is discussed in many poems about beauty. One does not need to be some gorgeous creature beyond all compare to be beautiful to someone else.

This poem shows this in a stunning way, and it remains one of the best poems ever written by William Shakespeare.

The Themes of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare

Some of the main themes that you will find in Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare include, of course, beauty and an examination of it. However, this central theme incorporates a number of other thematic elements around it. For instance, like many examples of poems about beauty, the poem serves as a means of expressing love and adoration as well as celebrating the beauty of that person.

Regardless of these more traditional elements, Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare is far from traditional in its presentation of these themes. Instead of focusing on an idealized version of some kind of perfect beauty, this poem examines how subjectivity falls into our ideas of beauty. Someone may not be beautiful in the more typical and traditional understanding of the word, but they are beautiful to us. This is the primary idea around which this poem is based.

Today, we have examined one of the best-known poems in the English language. This Sonnet 130 analysis has also included a look at the author behind it all, a separate look at some of the themes of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare, and a brief word on the naming conventions of the poetry collection in which this sonnet is found. Hopefully, this has provided a good and detailed understanding of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare for those who were unfamiliar with it before. However, there are many other Shakespearean poems out there that are also worthy of a good reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sonnet 130 by william shakespeare.

This is one of the best-known Shakespearean sonnets. This poem is a satirical take on poems about beauty, and it can be seen as something of a mocking poem. It instead focuses on inner beauty rather than the kind of idealized beauty that is often found in many examples of poems about beauty.

Who Is William Shakespeare?

This figure is still seen as one of the most important in the history of the English language. He was a poet and playwright, who also worked as an actor, and he had a massive impact on English literature. His work includes many words and phrases that were never seen before, and so he either invented or recorded them for the first time. 

What Is Sonnet 130 About?

This sonnet is about a woman known as the Dark Lady. She is a figure who is the object of several sonnets in the collection of Shakespeare’s work. He compares her, unfavorably, to various beautiful things to instead focus on a more inner beauty that she exhibits. This is a satire on traditional poems about beauty, and, thanks to the language used, it can come across as mean-spirited at times.

What Are Other Famous Poems by William Shakespeare?

The poems of William Shakespeare are actually numbered, but we will mention a few of his most famous sonnets by the names they are best known by, which were all published in the same 1609 collection: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day, Let me not to the marriage of true minds , and Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed . However, he wrote many other famous poems, but this has been a tiny selection of his many sonnets.

What Are the Themes of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare?

The principal themes of this immensely famous Shakespearean sonnet include beauty, love, a celebration of inner beauty, and subjectivity of perception. This is a stunning poem that explores beauty in an unconventional way.

Justin van Huyssteen is a freelance writer, novelist, and academic originally from Cape Town, South Africa. At present, he has a bachelor’s degree in English and literary theory and an honor’s degree in literary theory. He is currently working towards his master’s degree in literary theory with a focus on animal studies, critical theory, and semiotics within literature. As a novelist and freelancer, he often writes under the pen name L.C. Lupus.

Justin’s preferred literary movements include modern and postmodern literature with literary fiction and genre fiction like sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, and horror being of particular interest. His academia extends to his interest in prose and narratology. He enjoys analyzing a variety of mediums through a literary lens, such as graphic novels, film, and video games.

Justin is working for artincontext.org as an author and content writer since 2022. He is responsible for all blog posts about architecture, literature and poetry.

Learn more about Justin van Huyssteen and the Art in Context Team .

Cite this Article

Justin, van Huyssteen, ““Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare – An In-Depth Analysis.” Art in Context. November 29, 2023. URL: https://artincontext.org/sonnet-130-by-william-shakespeare/

van Huyssteen, J. (2023, 29 November). “Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare – An In-Depth Analysis. Art in Context. https://artincontext.org/sonnet-130-by-william-shakespeare/

van Huyssteen, Justin. ““Sonnet 130” by William Shakespeare – An In-Depth Analysis.” Art in Context , November 29, 2023. https://artincontext.org/sonnet-130-by-william-shakespeare/ .

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“My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun (Sonnet 130)” the Poem by William Shakespeare Essay

Introduction.

William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most well-known playwrights and poets. Among his numerous works, sonnets occupy a special place. Shakespeare wrote over one hundred sonnets, all of which have been translated to a large number of languages. Sonnet 130 is one of the most widely recognized sonnets in various parts of the world. The present paper will offer a stylistic analysis of this literary masterpiece.

Sonnet 130, called “My Mistress Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun,” is written in the same form as all other Shakespearean sonnets. There are fourteen lines that are arranged into three quatrains and a couplet. This rhythmical pattern is known as “Shakespearean sonnet,” although other poets used to employ it before Shakespeare. The rhyme scheme of Sonnet 130 is the following: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG. The most important role belongs to the ending couplet. Whereas quatrains develop the essence of the poetic story and explain the poet’s ideas, opinions, or problems, the last two lines serve as a summing up.

Frequently, the couplet is in contrast with what has been mentioned in the previous twelve lines. The sonnet under consideration has exactly such structure. In quatrains, the author compares his beloved woman to nature, and the latter’s position is winning. The girl’s eyes are “nothing like the sun” (1), her lips are not as red as coral (2), her breasts are not as white as snow (3), her hair is not golden but black (4). The mistress’ cheeks do not have “roses” in them (5-6), and her breath does not bring as much “delight” as some perfumes do (7-8). The sound of music is “far more pleasing” than the girl’s voice (9-10), and her walk is not heavenly (11-12). However, even despite all of these unfavorable comparisons, the main idea is hidden in the couplet ─ in the last two lines of the sonnet. Here, Shakespeare says that even though nature may have much more beautiful features, the beauty of his mistress is “as rare / as any she belied with false compare” (13-14).

The metrical line used in the sonnet is iambic pentameter. This line presents the rhythm established in the words that rhyme in each line. The small groups of syllables forming the rhyme are called feet. In the iambic meter, the foot is represented by two syllables: the stressed one follows the unstressed one. The word “pentameter” means that there are five iambic feet in every line. This rhythmical pattern is the most common for traditional English poetry. The meter is also called decasyllabic verse because it contains ten syllables.

Despite being composed of only fourteen lines, the sonnet contains a variety of stylistic devices and expressive means. The most common of them is the comparison group represented by similes and metaphors:

• “eyes are nothing like the sun” (1): simile;
• “black wires grow on her head” (4): metaphor;
• “no such roses see I in her cheeks” (6): metaphor.

With the help of metaphors and similes, the author creates a portrait of the girl and makes it vivid for the reader. Also, the use of these stylistic forms makes the text more expressive.

There are several instances of antithesis. The use of this device helps the author to emphasize the contrast between two objects that are being described:

• “If snow be white , why then her breasts are dun” (3);
• “If hairs be wires [in the meaning “golden wires”], black wires grow on her head” (4);
• “ I have seen roses damasked… / But no such roses see I in her cheeks” (5-6);
• “I grant I never saw a goddess go / My mistress when she walks treads on the ground” (11-12).

Another device used by Shakespeare is inversion. In the line “I have seen roses damasked” (5), the attribute “damasked” follows the object “roses,” while indirect word order, should be vice versa. In the following line, the author says “no such roses see I” (6) instead of “I see.” The next instance of inversion is in the sentence “in some perfumes is there more delight” (7): the direct word order would have been “there is.” Another example is “the breath that from my mistress reeks” (8): the non-inverted version would have been “that reeks from my mistress” since the predicate should precede the object. In the sentence “yet well I know” (9) the author changes the position of the adverbial modifier and places it before the subject-predicate group, although the normal word order is contrary to that. All of these instances of inversion help to make the lines more expressive and draw attention to particular details that would have probably remain unnoticed if the word order was not reversed.

Phonetic devices used in the sonnet also help to make it more pronouncing and melodic. Although not numerous, these expressive means are rather suitable. Shakespeare employs alliteration and assonance:

• “ M y m istress’” (1): alliteration;
• “nothing like the sun” (1): assonance;
• “then her breasts” (3): assonance;
• “her head” (4): alliteration;
• “ r oses damasked, r ed” (5): alliteration;
• “ s uch roses s ee” (6): alliteration;
• “ h ear h er” (9): alliteration;
• “I g rant I never saw a g oddess g o” (11): alliteration;
• “ w hen she w alks” (12): alliteration.

In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare uses hyperbole and meiosis to exaggerate some qualities and understate others:

• “eyes are nothing like the sun” (1): meiosis;
• “no such roses see I in her cheeks” (6): meiosis;
• “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare” (13-14): hyperbole.

By using these figures of speech, the author draws particular attention to some qualities. He insists that the eyes of the girl are not bright at all ─ “nothing like the sun” (1) and her cheeks are absolutely pale ─ there are “no roses” (6) in them. However, in the last two lines, in the couplet, Shakespeare uses hyperbole that aims at emphasizing how extraordinarily beautiful his mistress is: “as rare / As any she belied with false compare” (13-14). By employing this device, the poet draws a picture for the reader that shows a girl more gorgeous than anything or anyone else in the world.

The analysis of William Shakespeare’s poem “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun (Sonnet 130)” allows making several inferences. The sonnet has the form of three quatrains and a couplet, the meaning of which is contrasting to the quatrains. The rhythmical pattern is iambic pentameter. The poet uses a variety of stylistic devices, such as simile, metaphor, assonance, alliteration, antithesis, inversion, hyperbole, and meiosis. All of these devices make the sonnet memorable, giving special prominence to particular features, objects, and attributes.

Shakespeare, William. “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun (Sonnet 130).” Poets.org , n.d., Web.

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun (Sonnet 130)" the Poem by William Shakespeare." June 15, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/my-mistress-eyes-are-nothing-like-the-sun-sonnet-130-the-poem-by-william-shakespeare/.

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Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun

by William Shakespeare

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 damasked, 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.

Summary of Sonnet 130

• Popularity of “ Sonnet 130”: William Shakespeare , a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor, “Sonnet 130” is a remarkable piece famous on account of its themes of love and appearance. It was first published in 1609. The poem speaks about the shortcomings of the speaker ’s beloved . It also illustrates how he loves her in spite of her flaws.
• “ Sonnet 130”, As a Representative of Love: This poem is an expression of love; the speaker admires his beloved, despite knowing her physical flaws. He explains her physical features are “uncatchy though,” yet she is beautiful in her own way. He talks about his lips, breasts, and hair, which looks like wires sticking on her head, and her cheeks also do not meet the ideal standard of beauty . Also, he talks about her unpleasant voice and compares her stinky breath with perfume. This strange comparison shows his acceptance of her flaws. As the poem progresses, he develops the idea that we should not set high standards in love. He accepts that his mistress is not a godlike figure. She is just an ordinary woman with lots of imperfections, and he admires and loves her despite those qualities.
• Major Themes in “Sonnet 130”: Love, appearances, and admiration are the major themes of this sonnet. The poem presents two things: the worldly standard of beauty and the poet’s definition of beauty. Throughout the poem, he talks about the physical features of his mistress that do not match the standards of beauty. She is not at all stunning or marvelous like a goddess, but he still loves and adores her. To him, she is unique and rare. That is why he does not measure his love on the worldly scale of beauty.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Sonnet 130

literary devices are tools used by writers and poets to convey their emotions, feelings, and ideas to the readers. Shakespeare has also used some literary devices to bring depth to this poem. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been discussed below.

• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession. For example, the sounds of /b/, /w/ and /h/ in “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head”, the sound of /th/ in “Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks” and the sound of /w/ in “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun”.
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line. For example, the sound of /h/ in “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun” and the sound of /s/ in “As any she belied with false compare.”
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break ; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

“And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.”

• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate a statement for the sake of emphasis. For example, Shakespeare exaggerates the mistress’ beauty by insulting her by using ordinary objects and contrasting her beauty to objects in nature.
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make the readers perceive things with their five senses. For example,

“ If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white.”

• Metaphor : It is used to compare an object or a person with something else to make meanings clear. For example, “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head”.
• Simile : It is a figure of speech used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. Shakespeare has used this device in the opening lines of the poem, such as;

“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun Coral is far more red than her lips’ red.”

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Sonnet 130

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this rhyme .

• Sonnet : A sonnet is a fourteen-lined poem usually written in iambic pentameter . This Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet .
• Couplet : There are two constructive lines of verse in a couplet, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme. This sonnet ends with a couplet, which usually reveals the central idea of the poem.
• Rhyme Scheme : The poem follows the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme .
• End Rhyme : End Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Shakespeare uses end rhyme in the poem. For example, “sun/dun”, “rare/compare”, “white/delight” and “know/go.”

Quotes to be Used

The lines stated below are suitable in a speech or lecture to glorify the positive attributes of true love.

“And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.”

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Easy Insightful Literature Notes

Sonnet 130 (My mistress’ eyes) Summary & Analysis

• In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare depicts his mistress as a dark lady who is deficient in beauty as per society’s standard.
• She does not have eyes as bright as the sun, rosy cheeks, snow-white breasts etc. She is just like an ordinary human being.
• But the poet-lover finds her as beautiful as any woman and loves her for who she is.

Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Explanation

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;

William Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 opens with the speaker talking about his mistress’ eyes. But it doesn’t seem to be a lover’s usual attempt to glorify in verse the beauty of the woman he loves. Rather we see the exact opposite. The speaker here negates the comparison between his mistress’ eyes and the brilliance of the sun. Here, the lady’s eyes are not as bright as the sun.

Generally, we consider that a woman of ideal beauty should have eyes that are as bright as the sun. But according to the lover here, the eyes of his mistress are so dull that they can hardly come near the sun in brightness.

In the next line the comparison changes, but the motif is the same. Now it is about her lips. The speaker says that his beloved’s lips are not as red as the beautiful red corals formed under the sea.

These beginning lines of the poem sets the tone of the entire poem. The speaker here attempts to show his beloved’s beauty in true and honest way as she actually looks, without resorting to artificial exaggeration. Thus, what we see in Sonnet 130 is unique and in sharp contrast to what the Renaissance readers were accustomed to read in other poets’ verses.

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

The lover continues similar comparisons making his lady look an ordinary human being. Now he comes to describe her breasts. A woman of ideal beauty is thought to have snow-white breasts. English women’s breasts are generally white in colour. But the breasts of the speaker’s mistress are ‘dun’ or dull grayish-brown in colour when compared to white snow.

The hair is the next element that comes to our speaker’s mind. A man would generally compare his lover’s hair to something soft and smooth, shiny and silky, and it would ideally be golden in colour. But here the speaker identifies his lady’s hairs with nothing but black wires. So, the lady has frizzy black hair which is uncommon for English women.

I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

The next element of beauty the speaker talks about is his lady’s cheeks. The speaker has seen beautiful roses with red and white hues woven together (damasked). But he finds nothing like those roses in his mistress’ cheeks.

The perfectly beautiful women possess a reddish rosy blush on their white cheeks. But the lady in Shakespeare’s sonnet is not that beautiful in the stereotypical sense, as her skin is dark in complexion. When the speaker goes to measure the beauty of his beloved in the standard sense, he seemingly finds her to be hopelessly deficient in it.

And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

Poets praise the sweet breath of their mistress as if it surpasses some sweet-smelling perfumes. But our speaker is honest while describing her lady’s breath. It doesn’t give out any delightful fragrance. It rather produces a strong and offensive smell (reeks). He acknowledges that some perfumes are certainly far more pleasing than her breath which instead of a sweet smell gives out a foul odour.

Till line 6, it was all about the lady’s look – her eyes, lips, breasts, hairs and cheeks. But now it has come down to her breath, how it smells. Let’s see what comes next.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

Now it’s about the mistress’ voice. The speaker seems to be getting a bit nicer to say that he loves to hear her speak. But the ‘yet’ in the middle takes us back to the same negative comparison again. He admits that music can be ‘far more pleasing’ than her voice. Though her voice sounds nice to him, it is not as good as music the way most lovers claim their beloved’s voice to be.

Lines 11–12

I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.

The speaker now admits that he has never seen how a goddess moves. And so, he won’t compare his beloved’s moves to that of a goddess as done by most lovers and especially poets in their poems. He is being frank here to admit that his mistress walks on the ground just like a normal human being, and not like a goddess, an angel or a fairy. She doesn’t fly or do anything superfluous of that sort.

Lines 13–14

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.

These final lines of the sonnet, the concluding couplet, holds the speaker’s main point and the poem’s essence. He swears (by heaven) that with all the ordinary features of his mistress, he still finds his beloved (my love) to be as lovely (rare) as any other woman (any she) who are misrepresented (belied) by inflated comparisons (false compare).

Unlike other poets he doesn’t need fanciful exaggerated comparisons. He still finds his lady beautiful and loves her with all her flaws. Great! isn’t it?

Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Into Details

Publication.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 is a part of all 154 sonnets which were published in 1609 in a quarto titled “ Shake-speare’s Sonnets ”. All these sonnets were written between 1594 and 1602. While the first 126 sonnets in the collection were addressed to a Fair Youth named Mr. W.H., the remaining sonnets (127-154) were addressed to a Dark Lady . The present sonnet belongs to the second part.

Background/Context

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 is about the Dark Lady who was deficient in beauty but full of sex appeal. The poet and his friend were involved in an eternal love triangle with this Dark Lady. The poet passionately loves this woman, but she tries to seduce his young and innocent friend. She betrays the poet and rejects his love. This results in his having a love-hate relationship with her. From this resentment the poet describes her in such a disgraceful way in his poem.

Though most early editors and critics took the sonnet at its face value and observed it to be simply a demeaning of the lady, currently it is seen as exactly opposite. The sonnet is now believed to be a compliment for the lady in an honest way and a satire on poetic conventions in which poets tend to make false comparisons with their mistress’ beauty.

Sonnet 130 does not have a specific setting as such. Shakespeare’s sonnets were mostly written in the 1590s and came out in the beginning of the 17th century. This sonnet questions the poetic traditions and feminine ideals of the 15 th and 16 th century English society. It also reflects the language used at that time and represents the standard of female beauty in the then society.

The sonnet actually goes beyond any particular location or time-frame in its universal approach to the concept of love and feminine beauty.

Shakespeare did not give titles to his sonnets and so they are referred by numbers. This sonnet comes at 130 th position in his collection. In most cases the first line of the sonnet is used as a title in many anthologies.

Here the first line “ My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun ” serves a very good title. It is apt in the sense that it sets the tone of the entire sonnet right at the start. From the title alone, we can guess that the speaker is going to comment negatively on his mistress’ beauty and it is most probably in a satirical note.

Form and Language

The poem “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” is a sonnet. A sonnet is a 14-lines poem usually written in iambic pentameter. Most of the Elizabethan love poetry was written in the traditional Petrarchan form in which a sonnet was divided into two parts – an octave and a sestet.

But Shakespeare broke this convention. He invented a new structure. Now this is called Shakespearean sonnet. The Shakespearean sonnet consists of three quatrains and a couplet.

The language used is simple and eloquent. Different kinds of imageries including visual and olfactory imagery are used to highlight how a perfectly beautiful woman was perceived to be in the society of his time. The overall tone is satirical here to take on the poetic conventions regarding the same. The music of the verse is created with the help of rhyme.

Meter and Rhyme

Like all other Shakespearean sonnets, Sonnet 130 consists of three quatrains and a couplet with the rhyme scheme being ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The first twelve lines rhyme in alternating pairs developing the main idea of the poem. The rhyming couplet sums it up well.

The meter used here is iambic pentameter. This is almost a norm for sonnets though. An iambic meter is a disyllabic meter where a stressed syllable comes after an unstressed one. Pentameter means five feet in a line. There are a few exceptions in the poem’s meter. For example, the first foot of the second line is a trochee.

My mis – | tress’ eyes | are no – | thing like | the sun ; Co – ral | is far | more red | than her | lips’ red ;

Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Themes

Beauty and love.

William Shakespeare in his Sonnet 130 redefines the idea of beauty and love and how they are related. His contemporary poets used to present their beloveds as perfectly beautiful and that was why they were so much in love with those ladies.

But Shakespeare shatters that stereotype here. The poet-lover states in the concluding couplet of the sonnet that he finds his mistress similarly rare as any other woman and loves her even knowing that she is deficient in terms of beauty in society’s defined terms. A person’s inner beauty and real appearance matters more than the inflated image of beauty by false comparisons or artificial make-up.

Real vs Superficial

The poet is tired with other poets’ exaggerated depiction of beauty of their ladylove. He knows that nothing is perfect in this world. The superficially inflated descriptions and false comparisons make him sick of their concept of beauty and love. He thus hits back to the then poetic conventions in a satiric way in Sonnet 130 by representing his mistress as she is. The poet loves to be honest and show the realness of things.

Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Symbols

The speaker compares (negatively though) his mistress’ eyes to the sun. The sun is generally used in literature and art as a symbol of light, life and brightness. It can bring sparkle to life. The speaker finds nothing of that sort in his mistress eyes. He depicts his beloved here as a simple and common person using the sun as a symbol.

In line 3, the speaker states that his mistress’ breasts are deplorably ‘dun’ in appearance when compared to the white colour of snow. White generally symbolizes purity and innocence. So, what does the lady’s less white skin indicate? Maybe she is not so pure.

Moreover, in the Renaissance period, whiteness of skin was a standard for perfect feminine beauty. The lovers and the poets all liked to describe their beloved’s complexion as snow-white. By stating that his mistress’ breasts are rather grayish-brown, the poet here goes against the convention. Thus, whiteness here symbolizes the conventions and the stereotypes.

Sonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun – Literary Devices

End-stopped line.

An end-stopped line is a line of verse that ends with a punctuation. Most of the lines in Sonnet 130 are end-stopped lines.

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;

In an enjambment a sentence continues to the next line of a verse without pause. For example –

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.

A caesura in poetry is a pause (with a comma, semicolon etc.) in the middle of a line.

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

But no such roses s ee I in her ch ee ks; I love to h ea r her sp ea k, ye t well I know

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in neighbouring words.

Co r al is fa r mo r e r ed than he r lips’ r ed; (‘r’ sound)

Alliteration

Alliteration is a sub-category of consonance. It is the repetition of consonant sounds in the beginning (or, stressed syllables) of nearby words.

I g rant I never saw a g oddess g o; (‘g’ sound)

Simile is a direct comparison between two tings using ‘as’ or ‘like’.

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

In this very first line of Sonnet 130, the poet introduces a simile to make (or rather deny) a comparison between the lady’s eyes and the sun using ‘like’. This is an example of simile.

A metaphor is an indirect or implied comparison where there is a point of similarity.

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

When the speaker says “ black wires grow on her head ”, he makes an implied comparison between his mistress’ hair and wire. This is a metaphor.

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

In the above line, the speaker compares the reddish hue on women’s cheeks to that of roses in an indirect way here to say that he cannot find roses on his beloved’s cheeks.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 is full of imageries used to make readers perceive things better with the help of five senses.

We find some great visual images (that readers can almost see) in the following lines –

… why then her breasts are dun; … black wires grow on her head I have seen roses damasked, red and white,

Again, olfactory imagery (sense of smell) is used in lines 7 and 8 –

There is auditory imagery (sounds that we hear) in lines 9 and 10 –

And, there is a kinesthetic imagery (sense of movement) in lines 11 and 12 –

I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

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