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What does Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare mean?

Summary: Sonnet 130
This sonnet compares the speaker's lover to a number of other beauties—and never in the lover's favor. Her eyes are “nothing like the sun,” her lips are less red than coral; compared to white snow, her breasts are dun-colored, and her hairs are like black wires on her head.

Hereof, who is Shakespeare talking about in Sonnet 130?

with false compare (14): i.e., by unbelievable, ridiculous comparisons. Sonnet 130 is the poet's pragmatic tribute to his uncomely mistress, commonly referred to as the dark lady because of her dun complexion. The dark lady, who ultimately betrays the poet, appears in sonnets 127 to 154.

Likewise, is Sonnet 130 a love poem? Sonnet 130 is like a love poem turned on its head. Usually, if you were talking about your beloved, you would go out of your way to praise her, to point all the ways that she is the best. Then, at the end, he changes his tune and tells us about his real and complete love for her.

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

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? The speaker considers his love less attractive than objects in nature.

What is the best summary of the central idea of Sonnet 130?

The speaker believes that his beloved is beautiful and amazing beyond compare. The speaker praises traditional poetry and celebrates its power to express true love. The speaker mocks the ugliness of his mistress and wants to end their relationship.

Similar Question and The Answer

What is the purpose of Sonnet 130?

Sonnet 130 is an unusual poem because it turns the idea of female beauty on its head and offers the reader an alternative view of what it's like to love a woman, warts and all, despite her shortcomings.

What is the central idea of the sonnet?

The central idea of the sonnet is The speaker thinks that his muse is forgetful and lazy and wastes a lot of time.

What literary devices are used in Sonnet 130?

Internal rhyme. Sound Devices: Alliteration. Assonance. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,

What do the last two lines of Sonnet 130 mean?

Here are two lines in plain English: the speaker thinks that his lover is as wonderful ("rare") as any woman ("any she") who was ever misrepresented ("belied") by an exaggerated comparison ("false compare"). These last two lines are the payoff for the whole poem. They serve as the punch-line for the joke.

What is the mood of Sonnet 130?

The tone conveys the mood of the poem. For me, the tone of sonnet 130 is mocking. This is an interesting sonnet, in that even though the speaker is describing his lady love, he seems more concerned with slamming the cliched descriptions usually used to describe a love in poetry.

How is Sonnet 130 different from other poems?

“Sonnet 130” is different from most love poems in the fact that it can be interpreted in two different ways. This poem can be seen as a satirical and funny sonnet, or it can be viewed as a serious poem that expresses true love.

Who is Sonnet 130 addressed to?

the dark lady

What are the elements of a sonnet?

Sonnets share these characteristics: Fourteen lines: All sonnets have 14 lines, which can be broken down into four sections called quatrains. A strict rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet, for example, is ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG (note the four distinct sections in the rhyme scheme).

What is Shakespeare's definition of love?

William Shakespeare puts forth his definition of what makes love true in his untitled sonnet beginning with “Let me not to the marriage of true minds.” Shakespeare does not deny other views of love, but instead insists on a certain characteristic of love: love is rigid and crucial to endure life.

What is a Volta in poetry?

Volta. Italian word for “turn.” In a sonnet, the volta is the turn of thought or argument: in Petrarchan or Italian sonnets it occurs between the octave and the sestet, and in Shakespearean or English before the final couplet.

What are the features of an English sonnet?

An English sonnet has specific features that must be present. These include: fourteen lines, written in three, four-line quatrains with one final couplet. rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. each line made up of ten syllables. iambic pentameter, which is a pattern of one unstressed, then one stressed syllable.

Why was iambic pentameter used?

The use of iambic pentameter is a way to add rhythm to the poem in one specific way. Iambic pentameter mimics the human heartbeat in its rhythm often to symbolise that the words being spoken are from the heart, hence the tradition for using them in Sonnets.

Where is the turn in Sonnet 130?

In a Shakespearean sonnet, the volta occurs between lines 12 and 13, so in “Sonnet 130” it appears just before the concluding lines. The volta is signaled by the change from alternating rhymes to a rhyming couplet: “rare” and “compare” create a concluding rhyme to set this section apart from the rest of the sonnet.

What is the theme of Sonnet 130?

In Sonnet 130, the theme "Women and Femininity" is connected to the idea of appearances. This poem is all about female beauty and our expectations and stereotypes about the way women ought to look.

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