Commentary of Sonnet 130

During the 16th century the sonnet was the most common and used kind of poetry; William Shakespeare introduced a new layout, the so-called “Shakespearean (or Elizabethan, the queen of England) structure, which consists of 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet.

The typical theme of sonnets was idealised love of a woman presented like an angel, with all the qualities you can imagine; however, you can find some differences.

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 belongs to the sequence addressed to the “dark lady”, whose description is the object of the sonnet.

William Shakespeare wrote the Dark Lady’s features, highlighting her blemishes more than her qualities. The woman has not got shining eyes, red lips or long and blond hair; however the sonneteer loves her, because he thinks she is more real than other female figures.

As a result the dark lady’s description becomes a parody of the medieval concept of woman: even if love makes people blind, the beloved conserves all his/her blemishes, while the lover should overcome them to reach a deep and, what’s more, real love.