Sonnet 130- William Shakespeare

Sonnet 130- William Shakespeare

Here is an example of "Petrarchan Beauty," something Shakespeare believed was of little value.

What do you think the tone is in this poem?

If you said "mocking" or "sarcastic," you'd be correct!

This tone is conveyed as the narrator makes "insults" directed towards his mistress to emphasize unreachable societal standards.

Ice Breakers

1. Why do people tend to overlook flaws and magnify strengths in others?

2. Do we put too much emphasis on outward beauty in our society?

Sonnet 130

Tone

3. Do you think that romantic comedies and love songs are unrealistic?

tone: the author's attitudes or feelings towards the subject

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.

Examples:

• "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."

Back Story

• Shakespeare wrote this poem to mock traditional Petrarchan metaphors used by fellow sonnet writers

Figurative Language

• He was influential because he wanted to bring to light the fact that outer beauty isn't everything

In this sonnet figurative language is used several

times, specifically irony.

• Shakespeare wanted to show that exaggerated cliches were unnecessary

Irony

Effects of Figurative

Language

Example: Line 1

"My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun;"

• This line is ironic because usually in love sonnets the author will use ridiculous comparisons to describe how great someone is. However, Shakespeare does the opposite and says her eyes are not like the sun.

• Through Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 he uses irony to emphasize how ridiculous and unattainable the ideals of traditional sonnets were at the time.
• This use of irony allows the reader to better understand the sarcastic message.

Connection To Modern Day

• This poem is still relevant today.
• Shakespeare used this poem to mock traditional sonnets that had unrealistic expectations of love.

In today's society instead of sonnets we

have Romantic Comedies and love songs to

set unrealistic goals about love.

Brooke Courneen, Anjalie Salunke, Claire Veeder

The End.