Which statement best summarizes William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130? 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 damask'd, 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. A. Sonnet 130 compares and contrasts the speaker’s mistress with beautiful elements in nature and finds her more beautiful.
B. Sonnet 130 is a traditional love sonnet with the speaker giving numerous descriptions of his mistress’s beauty and positive qualities.
C. Sonnet 130 parodies a traditional love sonnet by bringing out the flaws in the physical beauty of the mistress.
D. Sonnet 130 lists a multitude of flaws in the beauty of the mistress in order to show her in an uncomplimentary light.
If you sent this poem to a woman and meant it to be a compliment, you'd soon get your head handed to you. In pieces.
And yet many poems were written with the words coral, white (like fresh fallen snow), hair [a really touchy subject for any man to make a comment about]. breath -- it's wonder he didn't say anything about feet.
D is wrong. He doesn't want to show her in an uncomplimentary light. He wants poets to stop using cliches.
A is wrong. What beautiful things in nature? She is not as good as any that are mentioned.
B They are not positive qualities. Not in these lines.
When you read something critically you a re looking for things that aren't right or don't belong. Where if you read something for fun, you will not be analyzing the text.
