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.
Hope I can help you!
Answer: Walton assures his sister that he will not experience the same fate as the Ancient Mariner.
Explanation:
Mary Shelley's novel, <em>Frankenstein</em>, begins with a series of letters sent by Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret. In these letters, he writes about his travels as a captain of a ship that heads towards the North Pole. By mentioning the albatross in his letter, Walton alludes to<em> "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"</em>, the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The mariner sees an albatross while at sea. Albatross is viewed as a sign of good luck, but the mariner kills the bird by shooting it. The members of the crew are convinced that their voyage is now cursed, so the mariner is forced to wear the dead bird around his neck. The metaphor of an albatross present in Walton's letters is clear - albatross is presented as a burden. Walton assures his sister that he will not kill an albatross - he will not experience the same fate as the Ancient Mariner. In this way, he soothes her and eases her worries.
