William Shakespeare’s poem “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” is a sonnet that tells the story of a man who is in love with a woman who is not as beautiful as he imagined. The speaker describes his mistress’ eyes as being dull and unremarkable, nothing like the sun which is known for its beauty and brilliance. The speaker seems to be disappointed in his mistress, but at the same time he still loves her very much.
This poem is interesting because it shows how people can sometimes be disappointed in those they love. It can be easy to get caught up in our own idealized version of someone, and when we finally meet that person we may be disappointed by their actual appearance. This poem also shows how love can sometimes be stronger than disappointment. Even though the speaker is disappointed in his mistress, he still loves her very much and is willing to forgive her for her flaws.
“My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” is a poem written by William Shakespeare about a man’s devotion to an imperfect woman. He emphasizes that while his mistress has flaws, he regards her as unique and “rare.” If the reader is not careful, he or she may be tempted to take on the role of the lady described in this poem. Although today’s term mistress implies either a sweetheart or a woman who lives with a man without being married to him, in Shakespeare’s time it meant someone who ruled others or had power.
Therefore, the title “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” could also be interpreted as “My Woman in Power’s Eyes Are Not as Bright as the Sun.” Nevertheless, this poem is about William Shakespeare’s deep and unending love for his mistress no matter what she looks like on the outside.
Shakespeare begins his poem with a list of ways in which his mistress does not compare to some of nature’s most beautiful objects. He starts with her eyes, saying that they are nothing like the sun. This could be because his mistress wears makeup to make her look more attractive or because she has smallpox scars. He goes on to say that her cheeks are not like roses and her hair is not like wires of gold. He might be saying this to show that his love for her does not depend on her physical appearance, which is often what we base our opinions on.
Near the end of the poem, William Shakespeare makes it clear that no matter how his mistress looks on the outside, he will always love her deeply. He says, “But I love your heart / And it is there that I find refuge from the storm.” In other words, even though she is not perfect, Shakespeare loves everything about her personality and who she is inside. This shows that true beauty comes from within and not from what we see on the outside.
With that in mind, the reader may concentrate on certain important rules of this poem – theme, tone, and form – to better comprehend and appreciate the work. The motif of this poem is to examine and understand genuine love. True love is defined by loving one another’s faults. This poem explains the writer’s love’s flaws and imperfections. He compares her eyes to “the sun,” her lips to coral rather than red, her breasts to off-white rather than pink, her cheeks to roses rather than brighter than music, and her voice to music rather than as lovely as song.
It would be easy to think that the writer doesn’t find his mistress beautiful, but it’s quite the opposite. William Shakespeare is praising her for being real and not like an idealized image of a woman. He loves her for who she is, not what she looks like. This is further seen in the way he talks about her smell. While many people would try to hide their partner’s natural body odor, the speaker in this poem seems to enjoy it.
He compares it to the “smell of weedy flowers” and finds it just as pleasant as any perfume. The tone of this poem is one of adoration and reverence. The speaker clearly loves his mistress very much and wants us know all the reasons why. He doesn’t try to hide her imperfections, but instead points them out as things that make her even more special to him.
The form of “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” is that of a Petrarchan sonnet. This type of sonnet was named after the Italian poet Petrarch, who was one of the first to use this specific rhyme scheme. It consists of fourteen lines broken up into an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The octave typically contains two quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a rhyme scheme of ABAB.
The sestet usually has a rhyme scheme of CDCD or CDC. William Shakespeare follows this rhyme scheme perfectly in his poem. Petrarchan sonnets are often about love, and the speaker is usually speaking to his beloved. This type of sonnet was popular during the Renaissance period when William Shakespeare was writing his poems.
He even becomes downright insultive, pointing out that her hairs are like black wires, that she stinks of breath, and that when she walks she treads on the ground. Despite all of this, he still adores “to hear her speak,” finds his love unique and recognized by heaven, and considers it precious.
The tone of this poem is one of realism and contentment. Shakespeare understands that love has its flaws, yet what makes it so powerful is the fact that it does have these problems. This isn’t a typical look at his girlfriend in a poem about one’s devotion to her; rather, it’s a realistic view of his mistress from his perspective.
William Shakespeare’s “My Mistress’ Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” is a perfect example of how love does not always have to be idealized and unrealistic to be beautiful. The poem takes an honest and realistic look at the poet’s mistress, pointing out all her flaws, but in the end he still loves her. This is a great example of how love can be beautiful despite its flaws.
