Analysisof'Sonnet130'[45mins] 1.Introduction Inthelastlesson,youlearntaboutatypeofpoemcalledasonnet.Shakespeareansonnets, likeSonnet130,haveaveryparticularstructureandoftendealwiththemeslikelove.You alsoreadSonnet130andlearnthowitisatwistonaconventionallovepoem.Asyouread, thepoemuseshyperboletocriticisehisbeloved'sappearance,makingfunoflovepoems thatexcessivelyflattertheirsubject.Inthislesson,youwillanalyseSonnet130inmoredepth.Youwillunpackeachlineofthe poem,breakingdownthepoeticdevicesandthedeepermeaningthatunfolds.Bytheendof
thislesson,youwillbeableto:Analyselanguagestructuresandpoeticdevices,andhow
theyrelatetothemeaningofSonnet130.
2.Analysis Let'slookataline-by-lineanalysisofthepoem.
2.1Firstquatrain Line1isanunexpectedandstrangewaytostartalovepoem,don’tyouthink?Thespeaker saysthathismistress’seyesdonotshinebrightandbeautifullylikethesun,whichisasimile comparinghereyestothesun–whichhasquiteanegativeslanttoit.Hecouldhavesaid 'notlikethesun',butheusestheword'nothing',whichemphasisesjusthowunlikethesun hereyesare.Thefirstwordwereadis'my',whichformsanalliterativepatternwiththe followingword'mistress',drawingthereader’sattentiontothefactthatitishismistressas opposedtoeveryoneelse’smistress,therebysettingherupforthevariouscomparisonsto theothersthatfollow.Wealsohavetowonderwhoheisaddressing.Isitthereaderorishe speakingtoothersonneteers?Line2comparesthecolourofthemistress’slipstocoral(meaningmarinecoral)outof whichpolishedjewellerywasfashionedatthattime.Brightredlipswereconsideredidealfor abeautifulwoman,buttheredofthemistress’slipsdoesnotcompare.
Line3findsthecolourofherbreastsfallingshortofthebeautystandard:snowywhite.
Instead,itisasortofgreyishbrowncolourcalleddun,acolourmostlyusedtodescribe horses.Line4compareshairstowiresandstatesthatthemistress’s'wires'areblackasopposedto thegoldenhuethatwasconsideredattractiveatthattime.Itisinterestingtonotethatwires maybeareferencetoperiodheaddressesmadeofgoldwirethatblendedinwellwith goldenhairandwhichdrewfavourablecomparisons.Overall,thefirstquatrainemploysimagerytakenfromnaturetoenablethereaderto'see' whathismistresslookslikeandalsowhatshedoesnotlooklike.Thewordssun,snow, white,dun,wiresandblackwiresallhelptopaintthispicture.Theuseofimagerycontinues inthenextstanza. 1 / 2
2.2Secondquatrain Visualimageryispresentinthewordsroses,redandwhite.Oursenseofsmellisevokedin thewordsperfumesandreeks.Line5and6pointoutthathercheekslackcolourand comparethemtoDamaskroseswhichareredandwhiteincolour(redandwhitemixedform
pink):thecolourofrosycheeks.
Rosesareassociatedwithlove,romanceandbeautyandwefindthisimagerepeatedtwice inbothline6and7,andsowefindthemistress’sbeautyundercutonceagain.Damask rosesweresweet-smellinganditmaybetheperfumeoftherosereferredtoinlines7and8 whereShakespearecommentsonthemistress’sbreaththatreekscomparedtoperfumes.Thisisquiteanunfaircomparisonasnobody’sbreathsmellslikeperfumeandtherefore representsanexampleofhyperbole.Line8iswritteninthepassivevoicewhichemphasisesthebreathratherthanthemistress.Again,weseethisfocusoncertainaspectsofawoman’sbeautyratherthanviewingheras awholeperson.Thereisgeneraldisagreementaboutthemeaningofthewordreeks,with somesayingitmeanstosmellunpleasantandotherssayingthatinShakespeare’stimeit simplymeanstoexhale.However,wecansafelyconcludethatherbreathdoesnotsmell likeroses!
2.3Thirdquatrain Auditoryimageryispresentinthewordsspeak,musicandpleasingsound,whereasvisual imageryispresentinthewordsgoddess,go,walksandtreadsandground.Thefirst complimentappearsinline9,butthisisimmediatelyundercutwiththewordye.The mistress’svoiceiscomparedtomusicandonceagainshefallsshortofperfectioninline10.Heenjoysthesoundofhervoice,butitdoesn’tcompetewiththesweetsoundsofmusic.Inlines11and12,Shakespeareissincereinthatheadmitsthathenevereversawa goddesswalk(i.e.go),butheknowsthathismistressisnotoneasshewalksontheground asopposedtotheheavensormountaintopswheregoddessesmay'walk'.Thisdemotesher inawaybecause,whereasalltheothersonneteersareraisingtheirbeloved’sstatusto goddessstature,Shakespeareisbringinghismistressdowntoearth.Line11contains alliterationoftheconsonant'g'andemphasisesthefactthatthemistresswalksonthe ground.
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