Analysis of Sonnet 130 - Essay Example

Shakespeare described the woman in this Sonnet differently far from the usual honoring beloved ones. The description he gave to the woman is a lampoon or could be compared to a caricature of the conventional love sonnet.

Analysis of Sonnet 130
Shakespeare's symbolic use of terms in describing his mistress is manifested in Sonnet 130. Some of the comparisons are: (2) the corals are reddish compared to his lips/, (3) the breast is brownish gray compared to the white snow/, (4) the hair is black and not golden brown/, (8) compared to perfume the breath of his mistress is nasty or unpleasant. However, to Elizabethan, reeks would only mean simply “breaths forth’/. Those were some of the physical attributes Shakespeare gave to her mistress and this is extraordinary to consider. It would be so hard to distinguish whether it is a compliment or an insult considering that this is an attribute being given to the beloved one. According to Shakespeare, (9) the voice of her mistress is not pleasing compared to music/ and in the latter part of the Sonnet, (11) Shakespeare compared his mistress to a goddess that walks on the ground which expresses his admiration for the mistress/ and has considered his mistress to be rare among those that could be given false representation and ridiculous comparison (Hale, J. 2002).

In line three, (3) Shakespeare uses the word dun in comparison to his mistress's brownish-gray breast. In line five, (5) the cheek of his mistress was compared to roses damasked red and white. However, the use of this comparison is absurd and a little bit hard to analyze especially if the reader has no idea or knowledge about the features of the given flower in the comparison. Shakespeare should have been pointing out the York and the Lancaster variety as a suggestion, it is red and white streaked symbolizing the union of the Red Rose Lancaster and the White Rose of York. The war of these two colors is compared to the cheeks of his mistress. In line eight, Shakespeare uses the word reeks in comparison to the mistress breath, since this sonnet is a parody of the conventional love sonnets; the writer illustrates the common meaning of the word

Conclusion
In Sonnet 130, it is relevant to conclude that these works are simple and yet extraordinary compared to other works of Shakespeare. In Sonnet 130, every line is not ostentatious, there is no extravagance and the work as a whole is not flamboyant. The Sonnet never shows a comparison of Shakespeare's love to Venus. It is also relevant to conclude that in this sonnet, Shakespeare would like to show and share with the readers their love for humanity and the importance of his love for ordinary beauty. The way Shakespeare delivers this Sonnet is not arrogant and uses distinctive love poetry metaphors in opposition to themselves. Read More