Analysis Of My Mistress's Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun

1126 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: First impressions

Growing up you are taught what is right and wrong from the very start. Adults will tell children they need to learn this and that so they can succeed in life. So much energy is put into molding a small child into who they should be and what they should do. If all goes well by the time the child is a young adult, they are ready to venture into the real world and be successful. Robin Williams makes an excellent point in the film, Dead Poets Society. He states, “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life but poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” Yes, we are all …show more content…

“My Mistress’s Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” by William Shakespeare, is a sonnet with an interesting twist on love. He writes, “My Mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun/ Coral is far more red than her lip’s red” (2-3). He finishes the poems with these two lines, “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/ As any she belied with false compare” (13-14). Shakespeare is implying that his lover does not fit the hyperboles’ that other poets of his time wrote about, when they spoke of their lovers. When you are truly in love looks aren’t important, because your heart doesn’t judge by appearance. Looks might initially attract you to someone, but who they are as a person is what makes you fall in love. What one person thinks is beautiful and perfect the next person might find unattractive. Shakespeare wanted to remind his love that to him she is perfect. Even though Shakespeare is remembered for the poems he wrote he left a verse on her life with this …show more content…

As children we are taught to be responsible; consequently, as adults this inhibits us from living in the moment. Occasionally to have a life with this person, you have to forget your responsibilities and start a new chapter in your life. Starting a new chapter in your life can be scary for someone because what happens when it doesn’t work out. Christopher Marlow writes, “There will I make thee beds of roses/ And a thousand fragrant posies/ A cap of flowers, and a kirtle/ Embroider’d all with leaves of myrtle. (-)” He is telling her how beautiful he will make everything for her if she makes the choice to start new with him. He even goes on to describe some of the scenic views. “The shepherd swains shall dance and sing/ For they delight each May-moring/ If these delight thy mind may move/ Then live with me and be my Love” (-). Marlow is laying his heart out on the table hoping she will accept his offer. This poem leaves a beautiful verse on the world as they read what a wonderful place he has in store for her if she will start a life with

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Lust In Romeo And Juliet

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet the two “so called lovers” are having their lust being mistaken for true love. While critics of the argument will argue that “the couple wouldn't have killed themselves if they were only in lust” the fact of the matter is that they met each other purely on the basis of looks. The first example of the couple’s lust emerges when Romeo sneaks into the Capulet’s party. Just hours after loving Rosaline, Romeo spots a new girl. He then turns to a servant and asks who the girl is,“Oh, doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in Ethiop's ear” (1.5.42-44). This demonstrates

    Read More

  • Dorothy Parker's 'Song In A Minor Key'

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    Parker uses the relationship between two true lovers to portray the strength one grasps when overcoming obstacles to hold onto true love. Parker begins the poem with a peaceful tone. This tone is created through the images of the “birds” and the “lilacs”, thus revealing that nature enhances a buildup of hope and strength within a character. The blending of the natural beauty of both birds and flowers

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Girl With The Golden Eyes

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    Society often views individuals that do not conform to its expectations as separate from the societal group. The Story of the Marquise-Marquis de Banneville, by Charles Perrault, François-Timoléon de Choisy, and Marie-Jeanne L’Héritier follows two main characters, one of which does not fully conform to binary gender presentation. The Girl with the Golden Eyes, authored by Honoré de Balzac, portrays an “oriental” woman as an object to be purchased and used. In Le Roman de Parthenay Ou Le Roman de Melusine, written by Coudrette, the heroine is a half human, half fairy who holds great power. In this paper, I argue that the majority of biologically female protagonists in these novels exist in-between the expectations society has for them, which

    Read More

  • Love in The Old Maid by Sara Teasdale

    474 Words  | 1 Pages

    The poem “The Old Maid”, by Sara Teasdale, takes place on a sidewalk on Broadway. The speaker in the poem is a woman walking with who you can infer to be her fiancée and she is describing a brief encounter she had with another woman in the car driving by her. The speaker describes the woman as “The woman I might grow to be,” She then notices how her hair color “…was as mine” and how “Her eyes were strangely like my eyes”. However, despite all these similarities the woman’s hair compared to the speaker’s was “…dull and drew no light”. Her eyes also did not shine like the speaker’s. The speaker assumed that the reason for the woman’s frail appearance was because she had never had the opportunity to know what it was like to be in love. In the last stanza, the speaker no longer looks upon the old maid but to her lover and knows that even though they may look similar she will never be like her.

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 and Clause McKay's The Harlem Dancer

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    The speaker uses metaphors to describe his mistress’ eyes to being like the sun; her lips being red as coral; cheeks like roses; breast white as snow; and her voices sounding like music. In the first few lines of the sonnet, the speaker view and tells of his mistress as being ugly, as if he was not attracted to her. He give...

    Read More

  • Essay on Lust and Love in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 and Campion’s There is a Garden

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...uty which is impossible for any woman or man to match. Campion's poem reflects this impossible ideal that society inflicts on us. This woman in There is a Garden in Her Face could never really live up to the image that the speaker has created of her. The image is false, and so is his love because he is only focusing on her outward appearance. The speaker in Shakespeare's sonnet clearly is not in love with his mistress' looks. Everything about her is contrary to society's standards, but he understands the absurdity of these standards and rejects them. There is more to his mistress than meets the eye, and that is why he truly loves her.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare's My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun Many authors compose sonnets about women whom they loved. Most of these authors embellish their women's physical characteristics by comparing them to natural wonders that we, as humans, find beautiful. Shakespeare's "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun" contradicts this idea, by stating that his mistress lacks most of the qualities other men wrongly praise their women for possessing. Shakespeare presents to one that true love recognizes imperfections and feels devotion regardless of flaws, while satirically expressing his personal thoughts on Petrarchan sonnets. Through the use of comparisons, the English sonnet and an anti-Petrarchan approach, he creatively gets his point across.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of He Has His Mother's Eyes

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    “He Has His Mother’s Eyes” is a very sad and emotional message yet so powerful. This Particular ad is meant to provoke people 's thoughts and raise awareness all around the world; certain people may not have experienced such things but that does not mean it should be ignored. Child abuse is increasing by the year, which is why there is now a series of ads created by the powerful human rights organization Amnesty International to help stop abusive acts in general.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Sonnet, "My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing like the Sun"

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    This poem speaks of a love that is truer than denoting a woman's physical perfection or her "angelic voice." As those traits are all ones that will fade with time, Shakespeare exclaims his true love by revealing her personality traits that caused his love. Shakespeare suggests that the eyes of the woman he loves are not twinkling like the sun: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" (1). Her hair is compared to a wire: "If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head" (3). These negative comparisons may sound almost unloving, however, Shakespeare proves that the mistress outdistances any goddess. This shows that the poet appreciates her human beauties unlike a Petrarchan sonnet that stresses a woman's cheek as red a rose or her face white as snow. Straying away from the dazzling rhetoric, this Shakespearean poem projects a humane and friendly impression and elicits laughter while expressing a truer love. A Petrarchan sonnet states that love must never change; this poem offers a more genuine expression of love by describing a natural woman.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare Doesn T Who Is The Dark Lady

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s themes are mostly conventional topics, such as love and beauty. Nevertheless, Shakespeare presents these themes in his own unique fashion, most notably by addressing the poems of beauty not to a fair maiden, but instead to a young man: ‘‘shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate” (book). Shakespeare points out that the youth’s beauty is more perfect then the beauty of a summer day. It is also “more temperate”, in other words more gentle, more restrained whereas the summer’s day might have violent excesses in store. At first glance of sonnet 18, it’s pretty much certain that one would think Shakespeare is referring to a woman, not a man. The idea of a man describing another man with such choice of words is always seen with a different eye. Several even stated that Shakespeare is homosexual. Whichever the case may be, Shakespeare painted beauty in the most original matter. He dared to do what everybody else didn’t, or maybe feared to, and accomplished his goal with flying colors. Besides, in his sonnets, Shakespeare states that the young man was made for a woman and urges the man to marry so he can pass on h...

    Read More

  • An Extended Definition of Beauty

    1058 Words  | 3 Pages

    As stated by ‘The Duchess’, Margaret Wolfe Hungerford’s famous quote “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” As a result, beauty can describe as an inspiring view present in everything that can be seen. To begin, beauty can be viewed in a building as large and extravagant as the white house to the small hometown market or even in the sight of a single flower to a field filled with a million flowers. Also, beauty can be seen in the sunrise over the peaks of the mountains and also in the sunset glowing across a calm lake surrounded by the bright colors of the fall trees. Furthermore, people have physical beauty, which can be found in a person’s features, figure, or complexion. In the poem “Beauty & Dress” by Robert Herrick he explains the beauty he sees in his wife. Herrick states,

    Read More

  • Analysis of Litany by Billy Collins

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    How does one define a perfect match? Society defines two equally attractive individuals as perfectly matched, and that a woman’s beauty defines her attractiveness. In “Litany,” Collin’s speaker presents and describes a true, unconditional and unequally relationship as a picture-perfect puzzle. The speaker names characteristics and attributes that his lover lacks while also listing others attributes in as backhanded manner. While using “you” the speaker portrays and addresses his lover with unusual comparisons and with ordinarily undesirable. He describes himself more attractively and the fact that despite his superior characteristics, he still needs and loves her. Many of his comments are backhanded with double meanings. “Litany” much like Shakespeare’s, “My Mistress’s Eyes Are Nothing Like Sun,” mocks the perfection and romantic idealism of love. Through metaphors, an effective use of syntax, structure, and contrast, Collins effectively conveys humorous satire towards traditional love poems while describing a view of a perfect match.

    Read More

  • Comparison: Petrarchan and Shakespearean Sonnets

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through the form of sonnet, Shakespeare and Petrarch both address the subject of love, yet there are key contrasts in their style, structure, and in the manner, each approaches their subjects. Moreover, in "Sonnet 130," Shakespeare, in fact, parodies Petrarch's style and thoughts as his storyteller describes his mistress, whose "eyes are in no way as the sun" (Shakespeare 1918). Through his English poem, Shakespeare seems to mock the exaggerated descriptions expanded throughout Petrarch’s work by portraying the speaker’s love in terms that are characteristic of a flawed woman not a goddess. On the other hand, upon a review of "Sonnet 292" from the Canzoniere, through “Introduction to Literature and Arts,” one quickly perceives that Petrarch's work is full of symbolism. However, Petrarch’s utilization of resemblance and the romanticizing of Petrarch's female subject are normal for the Petrarchan style.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Love To The Dark Lady Analysis

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    That means, the approaches of poet’s love remain the same. In one place, he portrays beauty as conveying a great responsibility in the sonnets addressed to the young man. The poet has experienced what he thinks of as "the marriage of true minds," also known as true love, that his love remains strong, and that he believes that it’s eternal. Nothing will stop their love, as in the symbols like all the ships, stars and stormy seas that fill the landscape of the poem and so on what can affect to their love. The poet is too much attracted with the young man’s beauty, though this indicates to something really bad behavior. But in another place, Shakespeare makes fun of the dark lady in sonnet 130. He explains that his lover, the dark lady, has wires for hair, bad breath, dull cleavage, a heavy step, pale lips and so on, but to him, real love is, the sonnet implies, begins when we accept our lovers for what they are as well as what they are not. But other critics may not agree with this and to them, beauty may define to something

    Read More

  • 1,000 Word Essay On THE LOVE STORY

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    This description is not of lustrous beauty, but of the true love he felt for her. This statement and

    Read More

More about Analysis Of My Mistress's Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun

Open Document