Page 141 

Ex. 1 

Ex. 2 

Ex. 3 

Ex. 4 

b. the lady is a real woman, not an idealized one. 

Ex. 5 

In the rhyming couplet the poet tells the reader his opinion about the lady’s physical appearance, compared to other people’s 

Ex. 6 

C) to show that love is what one feels for someone who is beautiful in the eyes of the lover, In spite of their defects 

D) to oppose the idealized woman, typical of traditional sonnets, to a real woman 

The comparison between the Dark Lady and nature is supposed to make her appear beautiful in a “normal” way, not idealizing her physical appearance. The message the poet wants to convey through this sonnet is that nobody’s perfect and that we must appreciate what we love in a person, although he or she might be considered ugly by other people. The angelical woman of Italian sonnets is not real thus people must look for beauty on Earth, not comparing everything to an ideal. 

Ex. 7 

Ex. 8 

Physical appearance surely is relevant nowadays as it is the first mean of comparison most of the people uses to describe themselves and the others; I, too, consider this aspect to be very important in a person I like, as it is the first thing that strikes my attention, especially to the smile. 

It is also true that exterior look is not the most important thing when considering a person in their whole, as it is their personality that matters the most.