Structuralist Critique
Student Name
Kristen Westrick
English Composition II
Month Day, Year
Kristen Westrick
English Composition II
Month Day, Year
Unattainable Expectations
William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 130” is a fourteen line poem written in iambic pentameter. The focus of the poem is the physical characteristics and virtues of Shakespeare’s love, who he refers to as his mistress. Shakespeare compares his love against many clichés of a stereotypical perfect and beautiful woman. He points out her many shortcomings when it comes to these unfair comparisons, yet it does not lessen his love for her. In “Sonnet 130”, Shakespeare uses imagery, metaphors and rhyme to challenge stereotypical comparisons of an ideal woman.
Shakespeare affectively uses imagery to create a visual picture of his mistress. In lines 9 and 10 of “Sonnet 130”, the reader’s auditory sense is appealed to when Shakespeare says that although he loves the sound of her voice, it is not as pleasing as the sound of music. No matter how pleasing the voice of his mistress is, no person’s voice can compare to the beauty heard in music. Shakespeare is interested in the opinion of his mistress, not just the sound of her voice and declares that despite “music hath a far more pleasing sound”, he loves to hear her speak. Shakespeare is paying her a “compliment in commending her conversational arts” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 248). The sense of smell is appealed to in lines 7 and 8, when the reader learns that perfume smells better than the breath of his mistress. He is not insulting her breath, he is pointing out that breath cannot be compared to the smell of perfume. Visual images are used to create a mental picture in lines 5 and 6 by describing the red and white seen in roses, although those colors are not seen in the cheeks of his love. Her cheeks cannot, and do not compare to the vivid contrast of red and white roses. Later in the sonnet he hints that she is of a darker complexion when he refers to her coloring as being “dun” which is grayish or brown, not pure white. “In refusing to rely on conceits to describe her features, the speaker turns his back on poetic tradition; consequently, he describes a person who is a unique individual” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 246). It is the uniqueness of his mistress that Shakespeare loves and admires.
In “Sonnet 130”, Shakespeare uses metaphors to describe the ways his mistress does not compare to the expected definitions of beauty. Instead of the classic use of a metaphor, “Shakespeare takes the opposite tack by describing his beloved as “nothing like” the beautiful productions of nature or art” (Hale par. 1). In line 2, Shakespeare compares the lips of his beloved to coral, declaring coral to be “fare more red”. Line 3 describes “if snow be white, why then her breasts are dun”. Shakespeare uses the metaphor of skin being as white as the snow; however it is to state that if this was possible, the description would not apply to his mistress since she is darker in color. Line 4 of the poem compares the hair of his mistress to wires declaring “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head”. Standard beauty descriptions of a woman’s hair might include that it is soft, shiny, or silky in addition to being golden or a light color. These standard definitions do not apply to the mistress since her hair is black and not golden, as well as more similar to wires due to its coarseness instead of soft silky strands. Shakespeare “bluntly proclaims, his mistress’s features do not measure up to the typical standards of attractiveness”, although it does not make him love and admire her any less (Napierkowski and Ruby page 248).
The rhyme scheme of “Sonnet 130” is ABABCDCDEFEFGG. The poem contains three sets of four lines, followed by a rhymed couplet. Shakespeare’s use of rhyme emphasizes the shortcomings of the mistress to standard descriptions of beauty. In the first set of four, each line contains a single characteristic. The first declares “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;” which is rhymed with the third line describing her breasts as grayish brown or “dun”. The second line describes her lips not being the standard “red” which is rhymed with the fourth line describing the hair on the mistresses “head”. In the second set of four “each physical feature is given two lines rather than one,” providing greater detail of the shortcomings of the mistress (Kelly par. 9). Lines 5 and 6 describe the lack of color in the mistresses’ cheeks which falls short of the stereotypical “red and white”. Lines 7 and 8 describe the less than ideal breath of the mistress which “reeks”. “In “Sonnet 130,” the quatrain’s work support each other in a common way of thinking about the mistress; the couplet, however, is a great surprise, as it seems to contradict the mood and meaning of the lines preceding it” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 250). It is the final two lines of the poem where Shakespeare declares his love, and truly challenges the stereotypical comparisons of an ideal woman. Shakespeare writes that “by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare”. He is stating he finds the qualities of his mistress even greater than the exaggerated and unattainable qualities described in standard clichés for a perfect woman.
Shakespeare’s use of imagery, metaphors and rhyme challenge the unrealistic comparisons made between women and heavenly bodies or nature. In order to conform to the clichés in “Sonnet 130”, a woman would have pure white skin with red cheeks and lips. If this were accurate, she would resemble a clown. In addition her breath would smell of perfume and her voice would be the pure melody of music, qualities that if obtainable, would be more unsettling than admirable. Shakespeare loves his mistress for the unique woman she is, and celebrates the qualities she posses instead of the standards she is expected to live up to.
Shakespeare affectively uses imagery to create a visual picture of his mistress. In lines 9 and 10 of “Sonnet 130”, the reader’s auditory sense is appealed to when Shakespeare says that although he loves the sound of her voice, it is not as pleasing as the sound of music. No matter how pleasing the voice of his mistress is, no person’s voice can compare to the beauty heard in music. Shakespeare is interested in the opinion of his mistress, not just the sound of her voice and declares that despite “music hath a far more pleasing sound”, he loves to hear her speak. Shakespeare is paying her a “compliment in commending her conversational arts” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 248). The sense of smell is appealed to in lines 7 and 8, when the reader learns that perfume smells better than the breath of his mistress. He is not insulting her breath, he is pointing out that breath cannot be compared to the smell of perfume. Visual images are used to create a mental picture in lines 5 and 6 by describing the red and white seen in roses, although those colors are not seen in the cheeks of his love. Her cheeks cannot, and do not compare to the vivid contrast of red and white roses. Later in the sonnet he hints that she is of a darker complexion when he refers to her coloring as being “dun” which is grayish or brown, not pure white. “In refusing to rely on conceits to describe her features, the speaker turns his back on poetic tradition; consequently, he describes a person who is a unique individual” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 246). It is the uniqueness of his mistress that Shakespeare loves and admires.
In “Sonnet 130”, Shakespeare uses metaphors to describe the ways his mistress does not compare to the expected definitions of beauty. Instead of the classic use of a metaphor, “Shakespeare takes the opposite tack by describing his beloved as “nothing like” the beautiful productions of nature or art” (Hale par. 1). In line 2, Shakespeare compares the lips of his beloved to coral, declaring coral to be “fare more red”. Line 3 describes “if snow be white, why then her breasts are dun”. Shakespeare uses the metaphor of skin being as white as the snow; however it is to state that if this was possible, the description would not apply to his mistress since she is darker in color. Line 4 of the poem compares the hair of his mistress to wires declaring “If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head”. Standard beauty descriptions of a woman’s hair might include that it is soft, shiny, or silky in addition to being golden or a light color. These standard definitions do not apply to the mistress since her hair is black and not golden, as well as more similar to wires due to its coarseness instead of soft silky strands. Shakespeare “bluntly proclaims, his mistress’s features do not measure up to the typical standards of attractiveness”, although it does not make him love and admire her any less (Napierkowski and Ruby page 248).
The rhyme scheme of “Sonnet 130” is ABABCDCDEFEFGG. The poem contains three sets of four lines, followed by a rhymed couplet. Shakespeare’s use of rhyme emphasizes the shortcomings of the mistress to standard descriptions of beauty. In the first set of four, each line contains a single characteristic. The first declares “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;” which is rhymed with the third line describing her breasts as grayish brown or “dun”. The second line describes her lips not being the standard “red” which is rhymed with the fourth line describing the hair on the mistresses “head”. In the second set of four “each physical feature is given two lines rather than one,” providing greater detail of the shortcomings of the mistress (Kelly par. 9). Lines 5 and 6 describe the lack of color in the mistresses’ cheeks which falls short of the stereotypical “red and white”. Lines 7 and 8 describe the less than ideal breath of the mistress which “reeks”. “In “Sonnet 130,” the quatrain’s work support each other in a common way of thinking about the mistress; the couplet, however, is a great surprise, as it seems to contradict the mood and meaning of the lines preceding it” (Napierkowski and Ruby page 250). It is the final two lines of the poem where Shakespeare declares his love, and truly challenges the stereotypical comparisons of an ideal woman. Shakespeare writes that “by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare”. He is stating he finds the qualities of his mistress even greater than the exaggerated and unattainable qualities described in standard clichés for a perfect woman.
Shakespeare’s use of imagery, metaphors and rhyme challenge the unrealistic comparisons made between women and heavenly bodies or nature. In order to conform to the clichés in “Sonnet 130”, a woman would have pure white skin with red cheeks and lips. If this were accurate, she would resemble a clown. In addition her breath would smell of perfume and her voice would be the pure melody of music, qualities that if obtainable, would be more unsettling than admirable. Shakespeare loves his mistress for the unique woman she is, and celebrates the qualities she posses instead of the standards she is expected to live up to.
Work Cited
Hale, James. "Sonnet 130." Master plots II: Poetry, Revised Edition, January 2002, pp. 1-3.
EBSCOhost, http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/loginurl=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.
aspxdirect=true&db=lfh&AN=103331POE21539650000622&site=eds-live.
Kelly, Stuart. "Rhyme and Reason." Scotland on Sunday, Mar 21, 2010, pp. 13, ProQuest
Central, http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/
326652486?accountid=11226.
Napierkowski, Marie Rose and Ruby, Mary. "Sonnet 130." Volume 1, Gale, 1998, pp. 246-257.
Gale Virtual Reference Library, ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/
i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=atla29738&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX2690900026&it=r&asid
=963de1a053ba0650c3c40635a8440c31. Accessed 19 Mar. 2017.
Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun". Literature:
An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Compact Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and
Robert Zweig. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2015. 494-499. Print.
EBSCOhost, http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/loginurl=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.
aspxdirect=true&db=lfh&AN=103331POE21539650000622&site=eds-live.
Kelly, Stuart. "Rhyme and Reason." Scotland on Sunday, Mar 21, 2010, pp. 13, ProQuest
Central, http://ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/
326652486?accountid=11226.
Napierkowski, Marie Rose and Ruby, Mary. "Sonnet 130." Volume 1, Gale, 1998, pp. 246-257.
Gale Virtual Reference Library, ezproxy.gsu.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/
i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=atla29738&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CCX2690900026&it=r&asid
=963de1a053ba0650c3c40635a8440c31. Accessed 19 Mar. 2017.
Shakespeare, William. "Sonnet 130: My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun". Literature:
An Introduction to Reading and Writing, Compact Edition. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and
Robert Zweig. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2015. 494-499. Print.