Shakespeare’s sonnet 130- Commentary
In the Renaissance Ages the most popular form of poetry was the Sonnet. The Sonnet is a lyrical form of poetry where the poet exspresses his feelings, emotions and moods. Sonnet 130, written by Shakespeare in 1609, is arranged into 3 quatrains and one rhyming couplet.
This sonnet belongs to the collection of the “dark lady”, where the sonneter overturns the concept of beloved woman, because for the lyrical I is not necessary that the woman is the one descripted in the courteous code (blu eyes, blond hair and similar to deity). In addition, uses a more realistic and concrete model than the Petrarchian one.
In the three quatrains the lyrical I compares his beloved with natural elements, not in a positive way, but highlighting the fact that she isn’t the angelic woman descripted in theDolce Stil Novo.
Moreover, his “mistress” embodies an original and alternative canon of beauty. In the rhyming couplet there is a turning point where the speaking voice displaces the intelligent reader: nevertheless his sweetheart doesn’t have any of the qualities of the poetic canon, the lyrical I will love her forever, because she represents a earthy figure.
