Shakespeare Sonnet 130 Tone

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As humans, we are quick to judge. If someone looks different or acts different than us, we call them names or make fun of them. The bible teaches us not to judge. Everyone is beautiful within the beholder’s eyes, but our nature is to judge. When William Shakespeare wrote Sonnet 130, he was being judgmental of his mistress. He told all of the flaws of her body, smell, and even the sound of her voice. But at the end of the story he described her as no comparison to the beauties of this world, but even so, he still loved her. Shakespeare used a judgmental and critical tone to convey the idea that his love for his mistress is rare and the outer appearance is not what makes his relationship work, but instead it is the intangible feelings that he has for her. …show more content…

But unlike most love poems, instead of saying she was more beautiful, he says that these things are much more beautiful than she. For example, in the first quatrain, the speaker says, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun, / Coral is far more red, than her lips” (lines 1-2). The speaker says these things to show that the love for his mistress is unique and even though her eyes are nothing like the sun or her lips are bland without lipstick, he still loves her. He compares her the way any man would in today’s society. Men tend to overlook what is on the inside, but judge a woman by her looks. Another example, is in the second quatrain, he says, “Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks”(8). He constantly criticizes her and uses harsh words like reeks to show that even though he judges her for her outer beauty, he still loves

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