Question

Read the first quatrain of "Sonnet 130.”

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.
—“Sonnet 130,”
William Shakespeare

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the quatrain?

The mistress is not as beautiful as natural elements.
The mistress’s hair is dull and wiry, unlike the whiteness of snow.
The mistress has eyes like the sun and lips more red than coral.
The mistress’s appearance is similar to that of the sun, coral, and snow.

Answer 1

A) The mistress is not as beautiful as natural elements. The speaker is comparing her to things that are beautiful, the speaker is saying that she is not as beautiful as the things being described.

Answer 2

The mistress is not as beautiful as natural elements.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this stanza, Shakespeare tells us that his mistress is not as beautiful as the natural elements of coral and snow. This is unusual for a love sonnet at the time. However, Shakespeare is using this difference to his benefit, as the sonnet is meant to mock or criticize sonnets that present beauty as overly exaggerated and perfect. Instead, Shakespeare tells us in this poem that although his mistress is not as beautiful as these elements, he still loves her.