He Had a black mistress My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130) by William Shakespeare
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
His mistress in this poem is his beloved. That is not a particularly obsolete meaning.
It's a poem. It doesn't have a setting.
The poem is written by Carol Ann Duffy who is writing from the point of view of Anne Hathaway. In the poem Anne Hathaway is speaking about her husband William Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare's sonnet "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun," the poet uses similes to contrast typical comparisons of beauty with the reality of his mistress. He explicitly states that her eyes are "nothing like the sun," and her lips are "less red than coral," highlighting that she does not fit conventional standards of beauty. However, through these comparisons, he ultimately celebrates her unique qualities, suggesting that true love appreciates the individuality of the beloved rather than adhering to idealized images. This approach reinforces the theme that authentic affection transcends superficial attributes.
This poem makes fun of the poetry, common at the time, in which a man praised his beloved by comparing her body parts to various fantastic images: her hair was spun gold, her eyes like stars, her lips as red as coral, her breasts like globes and so on. Shakespeare turns all this on its head by denying all of the fantastic images.
His mistress in this poem is his beloved. That is not a particularly obsolete meaning.
It's a sonnet.
It's a poem. It doesn't have a setting.
The poem is written by Carol Ann Duffy who is writing from the point of view of Anne Hathaway. In the poem Anne Hathaway is speaking about her husband William Shakespeare.
In Shakespeare's sonnet "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun," the poet uses similes to contrast typical comparisons of beauty with the reality of his mistress. He explicitly states that her eyes are "nothing like the sun," and her lips are "less red than coral," highlighting that she does not fit conventional standards of beauty. However, through these comparisons, he ultimately celebrates her unique qualities, suggesting that true love appreciates the individuality of the beloved rather than adhering to idealized images. This approach reinforces the theme that authentic affection transcends superficial attributes.
This poem makes fun of the poetry, common at the time, in which a man praised his beloved by comparing her body parts to various fantastic images: her hair was spun gold, her eyes like stars, her lips as red as coral, her breasts like globes and so on. Shakespeare turns all this on its head by denying all of the fantastic images.
Sonnet 141, written by William Shakespeare
Shakespeare most famous poem is Sonnet #18
He loves her and thinks she's great. The poem is not about her. The poem is about love poets who "belie with false compare". Shakespeare is undermining all the clichés which these tacky love poets loved to use, all the extravagant exaggerations about the beloved's appearance. They would say that her eyes are like the sun, her lips like coral, her skin like snow, her breath like perfume and her voice like music. Is any of this true? Not a word of it, says Shakespeare. She is a real, live, flesh and blood woman, and he likes her like that.
Yes.
I think a possible theme for this poem is loving one another's imperfections. This poem shows us the imperfections and flaws of the speaker's lover. He explains that although his mistress is imperfect, he finds his love special and 'rare.' He talks about her eyes being nothing like the sun, her lips not red as coral,her breasts not up to his standards, her cheeks being pale, and the fact that he likes music better then her voice. He even rudely talks about how her hair is like wires and her breath is bad. Although he points out all these things about his love, he still loves to hear her talk and considers his love rare and special.
The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser from the time of Shakespeare may be the poem you are thinking of.