Lecture Notes: William Shakespeare's 'Sonnet 130'

Introduction

• Focus on Shakespeare’s 'Sonnet 130'.
• Part of new poetry for English Home Language for 2023 and beyond.
• Comparison of beauty ideals today vs. Elizabethan era.

Modern and Elizabethan Beauty Ideals

• Modern ideals: Curvy but fit body, flawless skin, full eyebrows, etc.
• Elizabethan ideals: Soft blonde/red hair, high forehead, pale skin, blue eyes.
• Realistic nature of these ideals questioned.

'Sonnet 130' Overview

• Shakespeare satirizes fellow Petrarchan poets.
• Poem uses 'anti-compliments' to describe beloved.
• Speaker seems judgmental but is actually sincere.
• Final lines state genuine love without exaggerated praise.

Poem Analysis

Lines 1-4

• Line 1: Simile - Eyes not as bright as the sun.
• Line 2: Metaphor - Coral redder than her lips.
• Line 3: Metaphor - Her skin (breasts) is dun (brownish), not white like snow.
• Line 4: Metaphor - Hair compared to black wires.

Lines 5-8

• Lines 5-6: Metaphor - Cheeks not rosy like red/white roses.
• Lines 7-8: Metaphor - Breath not as delightful as perfume.

Lines 9-12

• Lines 9-10: Metaphor - Voice not as pleasing as music.
• Lines 11-12: Metaphor - Mistress walks like a human, not a goddess.

Rhyming Couplet (Lines 13-14)

• Volta signifies a turn in the poem.
• Speaker loves his mistress as she is, without exaggerated comparisons.

Commentary on Shakespeare's Intent

• Challenges traditional metaphors and beauty ideals.
• Couplet reassures true love despite preceding 'insults'.
• Love doesn't require deceptions; beauty is in reality.

Form and Structure

• Follows a-b-a-b c-d-c-d e-f-e-f g-g rhyme scheme.
• 14 lines: 3 quatrains and a final rhyming couplet.
• Volta occurs in the rhyming couplet.
• Written in iambic pentameter.

Tone

• Satirical, humorous, and mocking in first 12 lines.
• Shifts to honest and appreciative tone in the couplet.

Conclusion

• Presentation aims to analyze 'Sonnet 130'.
• More content on Grade 12 poetry will be uploaded.
• Encouragement to subscribe and follow for more content.