Overview
This lecture analyzes William Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 130", focusing on its challenge to traditional beauty standards and poetic conventions of the Elizabethan era.
Social and Historical Context
- Both modern and Elizabethan societies uphold unrealistic physical beauty ideals.
- Elizabethan beauty ideals included pale skin, blonde or red hair, and rosy cheeks, symbolizing nobility.
Satire and Subversion of Beauty Standards
- Shakespeare mocks poets who describe their lovers with unrealistic, exaggerated comparisons.
- The poem uses "anti-compliments" that seem insulting but actually express sincere appreciation.
Analysis of "Sonnet 130"
- The speaker claims his mistress’s eyes are "nothing like the sun," using a negative simile.
- Her lips are less red than coral (metaphor).
- Her skin is "dun" (dull brown), not white as snow (metaphor).
- Her hair is compared to "black wires," indicating it is dark and frizzy (metaphor).
- Her cheeks lack the rosy hues of red-and-white roses (metaphor).
- Her breath is not as delightful as perfume, but "reeks" just means it has a smell (metaphor).
- Her voice is less pleasing than music, but he still loves to hear her speak (metaphor).
- She walks on the ground, not like a floating goddess (metaphor).
- The final rhyming couplet reveals he loves her genuinely for who she is, not because of flattery.
Form and Structure
- "Sonnet 130" is a Shakespearean sonnet with 14 lines: 3 quatrains (4 lines each) and a final rhyming couplet.
- The rhyme scheme is a-b-a-b c-d-c-d e-f-e-f g-g.
- The "volta" (turn) occurs in the couplet, changing the tone and message.
- The poem is written in iambic pentameter.
Tone
- The tone is satirical, humorous, and mocking of typical love poem conventions.
- In the couplet, the tone shifts to honesty and genuine appreciation.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Simile — comparison using "like" or "as" (e.g., "eyes are nothing like the sun").
- Metaphor — direct comparison without "like" or "as" (e.g., "black wires grow on her head").
- Volta — the turning point in a sonnet, usually marked by a shift in tone or argument.
- Iambic Pentameter — a poetic meter with five pairs of unstressed/stressed syllables per line.
- Rhyming Couplet — two consecutive lines that rhyme, often concluding a sonnet.
- Satire — literary technique that uses humor or mockery to criticize conventions.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the poem and identify examples of similes and metaphors.
- Watch upcoming videos on rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter.
- Read other sonnets to compare poetic styles and conventions.