Question

Sonnet 130

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.

Based on word choice, how does the speaker feel about the subject of this sonnet?
A) The speaker reverently describes the woman and feels humbled by her love for him.
B) The speaker realistically describes the woman and willingly admits his never-ending love for her.
C) The speaker idealistically describes the woman as perfect and professes his undying love for her.
D) The speaker describes the woman in a belittling manner and admits he could never love someone like her.

Answer 1

Answer: B) The speaker realistically describes the woman and willingly admits his never-ending love for her.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this sonnet, the speaker describes the women he loves in a quite unusual manner. He compares her to a number of things, but then admits that she is nothing like them. The eyes of the woman he loves are ''nothing like the sun'', her breath is less delightful than perfume, the sound of music is much more pleasing than her voice... However, in final lines, he states that the women he loves is as special as any women deceived by false comparisons in other poems.

At the time Shakespeare wrote, many poets described their lovers unrealistically, in order to show their affection. They over-exaggerated by using a variety of overused metaphors and comparisons. This sonnet is Shakespeare's jocular response to conventions of love poetry.