Question

Read the passage.

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.

What is the main idea of the first quatrain of Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare?


(A) The speaker thinks his love is far superior to the beauty of nature.
(B) The speaker is comparing his love to others.
(C) The speaker describes his love as an earthy being.
(D) The speaker considers his love less attractive than objects in nature.

Answer 1

(D) The speaker considers his love less attractive than objects in nature.

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Step-by-step explanation:

In “Sonnet 130,” the speaker unfavorably compares his lover's body to a series of beautiful things (implying that she is less beautiful than the sun, snow, roses, a goddess, etc.). Ultimately, the speaker concludes that, even if his mistress cannot be credibly compared to the typical imagery of love poems, his love is still real and valuable, and his mistress is still beautiful. In this way, Shakespeare suggests that love and beauty should not be understood through abstract comparisons, but rather should be valued for being real and flawed.