Sonnet No.130 by William Shakespeare Essay
Introduction Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, also known as "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun," is a poem that playfully subverts the typical Petrarchan sonnet's idealization of the fair mistress. Instead, the speaker describes his mistress with unflattering comparisons, stating that her eyes are "nothing like the sun" and her breasts are "black as raven feathers." In doing so, the speaker ultimately declares that his love for his mistress is not based on her physical beauty, but on her inner qualities and true worth. Themes The main theme of the sonnet is the idea that true love is not based on physical beauty. The speaker challenges the traditional idealization of beauty in the mistress and instead emphasizes the inner qualities and true worth of the person. The poem also touches on the theme of honesty and authenticity in love. The speaker is not afraid to describe his mistress in an unflattering manner, which shows that he is being gen...