Textuality » 4A Interacting

LVirardi-4A- My mistress's eyes-Exercises.
by LVirardi - (2010-12-01)
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Comprehension:

 

  •  Dun-->Greyish-brown                                                                                                                               Wires-->Long thin pieces of metal                                                                                           Grant-->To accept that something is true                                                                              Belied-->To give a false idea of-to describe by lies

  •            

    FEATURES

    SHAKESPEAREAN LADY

    Eyes

    Dark

    Lips

    Coral is more red than her lips

    Breasts

    Brownish grey

    Hair

    Black pieces of metal

    Cheeks

    No red and white

    Breath

    Smell unpleasantly

    Voice

    Music has more pleasing sound

    Way of walking

    Walks heavily

                                                                                                                                           
  • No, he does not describe the woman he loves in the conventional way because he uses words and adjectives completely different than those used by the other poets. The Shakespeare’s objective is to ridicule the woman described in all the other sonnets that underlines only the characteristics of angelic woman, it cannot exist such a perfect woman.

  • In the three quatrain the rhyme scheme is ABAB-CDCD-EFEF and finally in the rhyming couplet it is GG, it is different from the Petrarchan sonnet’s rhyme scheme that is ABBA ACCA DEE EFF.

  • SONNET’S FEATURES

    SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET

    STRUCTURE

    Three quatrain and final rhyming couplet.

    RHYME SCHEME

    ABAB-CDCD-EFEF-GG

    THEMES

    The woman; this sonnet can be consider the parody of the typical convention of courtly love according to poets.








Interpretation:

  • In this sonnet Shakespeare uses the language of sense impression, he appeals to sight, hearing and smell and this choice makes the woman more realistic and more closer to the reader, she is a woman that you could meet in everyday life.

  •   With the final words “false compare” the poets refers to the comparison with the Renaissance’s idea of perfect woman. So he thinks that his love is rare because she is very different, she is the opposite.       

  •    In the final couplets Shakespeare wants to underline that he really love his mistress even if she is not so beautiful and angelic.