Sonnet 127

University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla

Department of English

Note: This presentation contains audio voice clips. This will be noted in the slides containing them. Please make sure to raise the volume on your device in order to hear them. In the event that your device does not play the audio clips, a typed version will also be provided in the presentation. Thank you.

Sonnet 127

Thank You!

J. Nicole Diaz Ortiz

Luis Alfaro Perez

INGL 3222 LA1

Melanie Martinez

Detailed Written Analysis

Detailed Written

Analysis

"Mrs. Potato Head"

Continued...

References

Transience of Beauty

Analysis of Sonnet 127

Lyrics

Then vs. Now

Sonnet 127

Sonnet 127

Mrs. Potato Head

Mabillard, Amanda. "How to Analyze a Shakespearean Sonnet - Steps to writing an essay on a sonnet by Shakespeare." How to Analyze a Shakespearean Sonnet - Steps to writing an essay on a sonnet by Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

• The transience of beauty
• Old terminology and modern interpretations
• Shakespeare's critique of beauty standards

Melanie Martinez-Mrs. Potato Head

• Make up

• Plastic surgery

Papp, Joseph, and Elizabeth Kirkland. "The Status of Women in Shakespeare's Time." EXPLORING Shakespeare, Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Accessed 17 Mar. 2017.

• Critique the standards of beauty

"Sonnets: Sonnet 127." SparkNotes: No Fear Shakespeare. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

It's such a waste

When little girls grow into their mother's face

But little girls are learning how to cut and paste

And pucker up their lips until they suffocate

Kids forever, kids forever

Baby soft skin turns into leather

Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic

No one will love you if you're unattractive

(Chorus)

Stay forever, stay forever

Even if her face don't stay together (x2)

Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me, is it true that pain is beauty?

Does a new face come with a warranty?

Will a pretty face make it better?

Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me

How did you afford her surgery?

Do you swear you'll stay forever?

Even if her face don't stay together

Stay forever, stay forever (x5)

If you weren't born with it

You can buy a couple ornaments

Just be sure to read the warning, kids

'Cause pretty soon you'll be bored of it, ha-ha

Sexual, hey girl if you wanna feel sexual

You can always call up a professional

They stick pins in you like a vegetable

Kids forever, kids forever

Baby soft skin turns into leather

Don't be dramatic, it's only some plastic

No one will love you if you're unattractive

Oh, Mrs. Potato Head, tell me, is it true that pain is beauty?

Does a new face come with a warranty?

Will a pretty face make it better?

Oh, Mr. Potato Head, tell me

How did you afford her surgery?

Do you swear you'll stay forever?

Even if her face don't stay together

Even if her face don't stay together

If you want a little more confidence

Potatoes turn to french fries, yeah it's common sense

All you need's a couple more condiments

And a hundred thousand dollars for some compliments

The theme of this sonnet is the decadence of the concept of beauty.

Per the speaker, which is Shakespeare, black was not considered fair in old age (first line). In the context of the time, black is referring to something that is burnt and fair to something that is beautiful. He even goes so far as to say that even if it were deemed fair by some, it still would not bore beauty’s name. No one would admit publicly that black was beautiful. The burnt topic of the poem is referring to either tanned skin or skin that was darker than the skin that used to be deemed beautiful, which was very pale. This is revealed clearly by the fifth line of the sonnet where he references ‘’art’s false borrowed face’’, which is a personification of makeup. Black as beauty’s heir is a metaphor: tanner skin is now considered beautiful instead of pale skin, so pale skin has passed on the metaphorical crown.

The metaphor is accentuated by the fourth line where beauty is personified into being ‘’slandered with a bastard shame’’. Clearly, the concept of beauty is treated, from Shakespeare’s point of view, as a bastard in a courtroom would be: with shame. If, as he states, the ‘’foul’’ can utilize makeup to perfect themselves, then the standard of beauty will have no name or home (bower), if not attainable to all. Since it is shamed, beauty lives in disgrace, as no one will truly be considered beautiful when all can easily fit the mold that society wants. Shakespeare seems to imply that there was nothing wrong with not fitting the standard, in this case pale skin, in the first place. When the last verses of the poem are compared to the first, it can be said that due to Shakespeare’s attraction to his mistress who fits the mold of ‘’black’’, he would have preferred people under this category to simply be as they are instead of resorting to changing themselves.

The aftermath of paleness being accessible resorted to the new beauty standard of black, and the consequence of this lead to the shaming of pale people. Those who fell under the new beauty standard would pity those who were not born ‘’naturally beautiful’’. From the ninth to twelfth lines, there is a hint of irony in the tone that indicates that the speaker’s mistress is just as bad as those who shame others for being pale. Although the mistress’ mourning eyes are a personification, it’s possible that the mistress’ eyes are also a symbol for the death of the concept of beauty. Since people woe at the sight of her eyes, they are glad that what was so attainable is now fine to disdain and a new standard which is more difficult to obtain is revered. As the personification in the last lines proclaims: ‘every tongue says beauty should look so.’’ It’s possible that Shakespeare intended to criticize the hypocrisy of his society and how they conceptualized beauty.

• Fair vs. dark skin

An important thing to note is that beauty standards are constantly changing and taking new forms, often imitating what once was considered "ugly" and deeming it a fashion or new trend. Shakespeare exemplifies this in Sonnet 127 by stating in line 3:

"But now is black beauty's successive heir"

saying that black is now what is considered beautiful despite the fact that "In the old age black was not counted fair..." This is still applicable today. A few examples would be how fuller lips, fuller hips, and fuller hair are now the new beauty standard as opposed to delicate features, a slim build, and flat-ironed pin-straight hair which now receives criticism while the formerly criticized beauty standard gets praised. This new trend has caused a skyrocket in the use of plastic surgery and the societal pressures that many people succumb to which Melanie Martinez criticizes in this video.

In Sonnet 127, lines 5-7, Shakespeare writes:

"For since each hand hath put on nature’s pow'r,

Fairing the foul with art’s false borrowed face,

Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bow'r,"

which basically says that beauty has lost its worth now that anybody can achieve beauty through artificial means which is similar to line 7 of the 4th stanza in "Mrs. Potato Head "where Melanie sings "But little girls are learning how to cut and paste,"because of the implications that Photoshop is equally as harmful as make-up and plastic surgery because of the unrealistic standards set by the edited images. There are countless editing apps available nowadays which serves as another form of beauty alteration and modification. Everyone follows the same trend, causing a severe lack of originality and genuine beauty.

There are numerous ways in which Sonnet 127 and "Mrs. Potato Head" are similar, but the most astonishing part is the fact that the Sonnet is still applicable today.

• Brunette vs. blonde

In the song, "Mrs. Potato Head" by Melanie Martinez, Melanie shares her critique on today's beauty standards and the lengths that people take in order to fit the "mold" that is considered beautiful. The message is delivered in a satiric manner because the song both criticizes plastic surgery while justifying the need for it in order to achieve beauty.

This correlates with Sonnet 127 because Shakespeare criticizes the use of make-up and how easy it is to modify one's appearance in order to fit the standard. In the same manner in which Shakespeare states that the use of make-up is a "false beauty," Melanie Martinez sings the following in the first two lines of the song:

"If you weren't born with it / You can buy a couple ornaments"

saying not to fret if you were not born beautiful because you can still achieve beauty through materialistic or artificial means. She also sings in lines 5-7:

"Sexual, hey girl if you wanna feel sexual

You can always call up a professional

They stick pins in you like a vegetable"

mocking the ease of modifying one's appearance to fit the beauty standard and comparing it to how vegetables are genetically modified in order to look more appealing.

Onto the next correlation, Shakespeare puts emphasis on black features in Sonnet 127, specifically "raven black eyes" and presumably, black or darkened skin considering the fact that he uses the term "fair" which was often used to describe pale skin. Fair/pale skin was part of the beauty standard during the Elizabethan era. This correlates with "Mrs. Potato Head" because blonde hair is shown to be the ideal hair color as opposed to brunette as shown in the video with the "Betty Wigs."

...Continued in next slide...

In the old age black was not counted fair,

Or if it were, it bore not beauty’s name.

But now is black beauty’s successive heir,

And beauty slandered with a bastard shame.

For since each hand hath put on nature’s pow'r,

Fairing the foul with art’s false borrowed face,

Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bow'r,

But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.

Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,

Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem

At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,

Sland'ring creation with a false esteem.

  Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,

  That every tongue says beauty should look so.

Sugarlyrics. "Melanie Martinez | Mrs. Potato Head lyrics." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Dec. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

• Death of the old beauty standard

Melmartinezx3. "Melanie Martinez - Mrs. Potato Head [Official Video]." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Dec. 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

*Lyrics in the next slide*

"Amelia Bassano: The True Shakespeare?" Snopes.com. N.p., 23 May 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

"Treasures." Treasure Houses of England. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

About the song

"Mrs. Potato Head" is the 12th track on Melanie Martinez's debut studio album, Cry Baby.

Label: Atlantic Records, Warner/Chappell Music

Writers: Melanie Martinez, Kinetics & One Love.

[Note: This slide contains an audio voice clip that breaks down and analyzes Sonnet 127. Please raise the volume on your device in order to hear it.]

[Note: This slide contains an audio voice clip that elaborates on the points presented in the Venn diagram above.