Analysis of 'Sonnet 130' [45 mins]
1. Introduction
In the last lesson, you learnt about a type of poem called a sonnet. Shakespearean sonnets,
like Sonnet 130, have a very particular structure and often deal with themes like love. You
also read Sonnet 130 and learnt how it is a twist on a conventional love poem. As you read,
the poem uses hyperbole to criticise his beloved's appearance, making fun of love poems
that excessively flatter their subject.
In this lesson, you will analyse Sonnet 130 in more depth. You will unpack each line of the
poem, breaking down the poetic devices and the deeper meaning that unfolds. By the end of
this lesson, you will be able to: Analyse language structures and poetic devices, and how
they relate to the meaning of Sonnet 130.
2. Analysis
Let's look at a line-by-line analysis of the poem.
2.1 First quatrain
Line 1 is an unexpected and strange way to start a love poem, don’t you think? The speaker
says that his mistress’s eyes do not shine bright and beautifully like the sun, which is a simile
comparing her eyes to the sun – which has quite a negative slant to it. He could have said
'not like the sun', but he uses the word 'nothing', which emphasises just how unlike the sun
her eyes are. The first word we read is 'my', which forms an alliterative pattern with the
following word 'mistress', drawing the reader’s attention to the fact that it is his mistress as
opposed to everyone else’s mistress, thereby setting her up for the various comparisons to
the others that follow. We also have to wonder who he is addressing. Is it the reader or is he
speaking to other sonneteers?
Line 2 compares the colour of the mistress’s lips to coral (meaning marine coral) out of
which polished jewellery was fashioned at that time. Bright red lips were considered ideal for
a beautiful woman, but the red of the mistress’s lips does not compare.
Line 3 finds the colour of her breasts falling short of the beauty standard: snowy white.
Instead, it is a sort of greyish brown colour called dun, a colour mostly used to describe
horses.
Line 4 compares hairs to wires and states that the mistress’s 'wires' are black as opposed to
the golden hue that was considered attractive at that time. It is interesting to note that wires
may be a reference to period headdresses made of gold wire that blended in well with
golden hair and which drew favourable comparisons.
Overall, the first quatrain employs imagery taken from nature to enable the reader to 'see'
what his mistress looks like and also what she does not look like. The words sun, snow,
white, dun, wires and black wires all help to paint this picture. The use of imagery continues
in the next stanza.
, 2.2 Second quatrain
Visual imagery is present in the words roses, red and white. Our sense of smell is evoked in
the words perfumes and reeks. Line 5 and 6 point out that her cheeks lack colour and
compare them to Damask roses which are red and white in colour (red and white mixed form
pink): the colour of rosy cheeks.
Roses are associated with love, romance and beauty and we find this image repeated twice
in both line 6 and 7, and so we find the mistress’s beauty undercut once again. Damask
roses were sweet-smelling and it may be the perfume of the rose referred to in lines 7 and 8
where Shakespeare comments on the mistress’s breath that reeks compared to perfumes.
This is quite an unfair comparison as nobody’s breath smells like perfume and therefore
represents an example of hyperbole.
Line 8 is written in the passive voice which emphasises the breath rather than the mistress.
Again, we see this focus on certain aspects of a woman’s beauty rather than viewing her as
a whole person. There is general disagreement about the meaning of the word reeks, with
some saying it means to smell unpleasant and others saying that in Shakespeare’s time it
simply means to exhale. However, we can safely conclude that her breath does not smell
like roses!
2.3 Third quatrain
Auditory imagery is present in the words speak, music and pleasing sound, whereas visual
imagery is present in the words goddess, go, walks and treads and ground. The first
compliment appears in line 9, but this is immediately undercut with the word ye. The
mistress’s voice is compared to music and once again she falls short of perfection in line 10.
He enjoys the sound of her voice, but it doesn’t compete with the sweet sounds of music.
In lines 11 and 12, Shakespeare is sincere in that he admits that he never ever saw a
goddess walk (i.e. go), but he knows that his mistress is not one as she walks on the ground
as opposed to the heavens or mountain tops where goddesses may 'walk'. This demotes her
in a way because, whereas all the other sonneteers are raising their beloved’s status to
goddess stature, Shakespeare is bringing his mistress down to earth. Line 11 contains
alliteration of the consonant 'g' and emphasises the fact that the mistress walks on the
ground.
1. Introduction
In the last lesson, you learnt about a type of poem called a sonnet. Shakespearean sonnets,
like Sonnet 130, have a very particular structure and often deal with themes like love. You
also read Sonnet 130 and learnt how it is a twist on a conventional love poem. As you read,
the poem uses hyperbole to criticise his beloved's appearance, making fun of love poems
that excessively flatter their subject.
In this lesson, you will analyse Sonnet 130 in more depth. You will unpack each line of the
poem, breaking down the poetic devices and the deeper meaning that unfolds. By the end of
this lesson, you will be able to: Analyse language structures and poetic devices, and how
they relate to the meaning of Sonnet 130.
2. Analysis
Let's look at a line-by-line analysis of the poem.
2.1 First quatrain
Line 1 is an unexpected and strange way to start a love poem, don’t you think? The speaker
says that his mistress’s eyes do not shine bright and beautifully like the sun, which is a simile
comparing her eyes to the sun – which has quite a negative slant to it. He could have said
'not like the sun', but he uses the word 'nothing', which emphasises just how unlike the sun
her eyes are. The first word we read is 'my', which forms an alliterative pattern with the
following word 'mistress', drawing the reader’s attention to the fact that it is his mistress as
opposed to everyone else’s mistress, thereby setting her up for the various comparisons to
the others that follow. We also have to wonder who he is addressing. Is it the reader or is he
speaking to other sonneteers?
Line 2 compares the colour of the mistress’s lips to coral (meaning marine coral) out of
which polished jewellery was fashioned at that time. Bright red lips were considered ideal for
a beautiful woman, but the red of the mistress’s lips does not compare.
Line 3 finds the colour of her breasts falling short of the beauty standard: snowy white.
Instead, it is a sort of greyish brown colour called dun, a colour mostly used to describe
horses.
Line 4 compares hairs to wires and states that the mistress’s 'wires' are black as opposed to
the golden hue that was considered attractive at that time. It is interesting to note that wires
may be a reference to period headdresses made of gold wire that blended in well with
golden hair and which drew favourable comparisons.
Overall, the first quatrain employs imagery taken from nature to enable the reader to 'see'
what his mistress looks like and also what she does not look like. The words sun, snow,
white, dun, wires and black wires all help to paint this picture. The use of imagery continues
in the next stanza.
, 2.2 Second quatrain
Visual imagery is present in the words roses, red and white. Our sense of smell is evoked in
the words perfumes and reeks. Line 5 and 6 point out that her cheeks lack colour and
compare them to Damask roses which are red and white in colour (red and white mixed form
pink): the colour of rosy cheeks.
Roses are associated with love, romance and beauty and we find this image repeated twice
in both line 6 and 7, and so we find the mistress’s beauty undercut once again. Damask
roses were sweet-smelling and it may be the perfume of the rose referred to in lines 7 and 8
where Shakespeare comments on the mistress’s breath that reeks compared to perfumes.
This is quite an unfair comparison as nobody’s breath smells like perfume and therefore
represents an example of hyperbole.
Line 8 is written in the passive voice which emphasises the breath rather than the mistress.
Again, we see this focus on certain aspects of a woman’s beauty rather than viewing her as
a whole person. There is general disagreement about the meaning of the word reeks, with
some saying it means to smell unpleasant and others saying that in Shakespeare’s time it
simply means to exhale. However, we can safely conclude that her breath does not smell
like roses!
2.3 Third quatrain
Auditory imagery is present in the words speak, music and pleasing sound, whereas visual
imagery is present in the words goddess, go, walks and treads and ground. The first
compliment appears in line 9, but this is immediately undercut with the word ye. The
mistress’s voice is compared to music and once again she falls short of perfection in line 10.
He enjoys the sound of her voice, but it doesn’t compete with the sweet sounds of music.
In lines 11 and 12, Shakespeare is sincere in that he admits that he never ever saw a
goddess walk (i.e. go), but he knows that his mistress is not one as she walks on the ground
as opposed to the heavens or mountain tops where goddesses may 'walk'. This demotes her
in a way because, whereas all the other sonneteers are raising their beloved’s status to
goddess stature, Shakespeare is bringing his mistress down to earth. Line 11 contains
alliteration of the consonant 'g' and emphasises the fact that the mistress walks on the
ground.
