In 1609, William Shakespeare authored his poem entitled “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun”, which, as revealed in the last line, is a parody. This poem encapsulates the epitome of beauty for a woman by exhibiting ideal feminine qualities through similes and metaphors that compare a woman’s characteristics to beautiful features of nature. However, Shakespeare phrases his play to say that the speaker’s mistress does not possess such goddess-like qualities, but is as beautiful as any ordinary woman. In “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun”, Shakespeare dismantles the ideologies of such a perfect woman that conventional love poetry presents and, essentially, makes a joke out of such enamored descriptions by humoring them for their
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The speaker embodies this sentiment by stating that his mistress does not possess such deific qualities. For example, the speaker expounds the ideas as that his “mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Shakespeare l. 1) and that “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red” (l. 2). Furthermore, Shakespeare establishes that the speaker’s mistress is almost disparaged in the presence of such heavenly qualities by stating that, in comparison, her breath “reeks” (l. 8), “her breasts are dun” (l. 3). Essentially, Shakespeare utilizes the speaker of the poem to humor the figurative language used in classic love poems to describe women by entertaining its literal meaning as the speaker views his mistress and admits that she boasts no such qualities. However, this message is solidified through the culmination of “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun”. In the punchline of the poem, Shakespeare reveals to the reader that the speaker regards his mistress as beautiful in comparison to any ordinary woman, but that such enamored descriptions of perfect women, as found in romantic poetry, force real women to pale in comparison (l. 11-12). Therefore, the speaker expresses that real women were never intended to fit the exorbitant love language of romantic poetry and that such heavenly descriptions are comical. These
The speaker embodies this sentiment by stating that his mistress does not possess such deific qualities. For example, the speaker expounds the ideas as that his “mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” (Shakespeare l. 1) and that “Coral is far more red than her lips’ red” (l. 2). Furthermore, Shakespeare establishes that the speaker’s mistress is almost disparaged in the presence of such heavenly qualities by stating that, in comparison, her breath “reeks” (l. 8), “her breasts are dun” (l. 3). Essentially, Shakespeare utilizes the speaker of the poem to humor the figurative language used in classic love poems to describe women by entertaining its literal meaning as the speaker views his mistress and admits that she boasts no such qualities. However, this message is solidified through the culmination of “My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing like the Sun”. In the punchline of the poem, Shakespeare reveals to the reader that the speaker regards his mistress as beautiful in comparison to any ordinary woman, but that such enamored descriptions of perfect women, as found in romantic poetry, force real women to pale in comparison (l. 11-12). Therefore, the speaker expresses that real women were never intended to fit the exorbitant love language of romantic poetry and that such heavenly descriptions are comical. These