Let's recap sonnet 18 and 130

 

Let’s RECAP -SONNET 18 and SONNET 130

My mistress’ eyes

This sonnet MAKES FUN of the conventions of love poetry common to Shakespeare’s day.

Most sonnets were modelled after Petrarch’s ones.

In his sonnets Petrarch praises Laura’s beauty, her WORTH, her PERFECTION using a lot of metaphors based largely on natural beauties.

The result was that poems by Petrarch make highly idealizing comparisons between nature and the poet’s lover, which, if taken literally, are completely ridiculous.

MY MISTRESS’S EYES ARE LIKE THE SUN

HER LIPS ARE RED AS CORAL

HER CHEEKS ARE LIKE ROSES

HER BREASTS ARE WHITE AS SNOW

HER VOICE IS LIKE MUSIC……SHE’S A GODDESS

This sonnet MOCKS the typical Petrarchan metaphors. In  a sense, he decides to tell the truth…..

So my Mistress’ eyes aren’t at all like the sun…..

In other words, he insists that love doesn’t need these conceits in order to be real- and women don’t need to look like flowers or the sun in order to be beautiful.

Though the sonnet may appear to be negative, it has positive words towards the end. Although reality can be quite different from our dreams, the poet knows that his love for his mistress is great. He describes it as unique and makes it clear that he doesn’t need to make false comparisons about her to know that in his heart he feels love for her. Some men may say false words, but he doesn’t need to because he accepts her as she is and is truly in love with her.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day

It’s divided into two parts:

LINES 1-8 Nature and its laws

LINES 9-14 Art and its effects As long as there are people reading the poem, it’ll live and it’ll give life to the young man’s memory

The two terms of comparison are SUMMER and the YOUNG MAN

The young boy proves to be the better because he’s more lovely and milder and his beauty won’t decay

The poet will make the young man eternal by praising his virtues and his beauty in his poem

WHY DOES he USE THE WORDS ETERNAL SUMMER?

The young man will be made eternal through the poem. He’ll never lose his youthful beauty.

WHAT ABOUT BEAUTY in real life?

It’ll be destroyed by TIME.POETRY is ART. IT’s IMMORTAL

CONCLUSION

ART preserves youth and beauty forever