Textuality » 4A Interacting
My mistress' eyes
Pag 65/66: comprehension
es 1.
•1) Dun (line 3) à greyish - brown
•2) Wires (line 4) à long thin pieces of metal
•3) Grant (line 11) à to accept that something is true
•4) Belied (line 14) à to give a false idea of - to describe by lies
Es 2. Your files C3
Features | Petrarchan lady | Shakespearean lady |
eyes | light | dark |
lips | red | wan |
breasts | bright | dark |
hair | blond | dark |
cheeks | red | pale |
breath | sweet-smelling / perfumed | heavy |
voice | musical / harmonious | music is better |
way of walking | like a goddess | heavy |
Es 3. Does the poet describe the woman he loves in the conventional way?
No, he doesn't because he describes his woman in a horrible and ridiculous way.
Es 4. What is the rhyme scheme? Is it the same as in the Petrarchan sonnet?
The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, but it isn't like the Petrarchan scheme; in fact it is : ABBA ABBA CDE CDE.
Es 5. Look at the structure of the sonnet. How many smaller sections can you identify?
The sonnet is composed of 14 lines, and it is organized in 3 quatrains and in a rhyming couplet.
Es 6. your files C2
Sonnet's features | Petrarchan sonnet | Shakespearean sonnet |
structure | Octave + sestet | 3 quatrains; a rhyming couplet |
Rhyme scheme | ABBA ABBA CDC CDC | ABAB CDCD EFEF GG |
themes | Love, which is worrying the poet | Lust, which is the main problem of people |
Pag 66: interpretation
Es 1. Your files C4
Senses | lines |
touch |
|
sight | Lines 1à6 |
hearing | Lines 9 à 12 |
taste |
|
smell | Lines 7 - 8 |
Shakespeare uses the language of sense impression: he applies to sight, hearing and smell to describe his woman.
Es 2. What do you think is the effect of using sensory images?
I think that the poet had used some sensory images to create a sight effect in the reader: in this way the aim of the sonnet (to parody the woman with a ridiculous description) may have been more clear.
Es 3. Focus on the words "yet" and "I think". What do they draw attention to?
The words "yet" and "I think" used by the poet should draw the attention of the reader on his personal idea of the woman.
Es 4. What does the poet refer to with the final words "false compare"?
I think that the poet with the final words "false compare" would explain to the reader that the sonnet he had made is only a parody of his woman.
Es 5. What is the meaning of the final couplet?
With the final couplet Shakespeare explains that the love he feels for his woman, is more pretious and rare of the love for a woman through a false (wrong) comparison.
Es 6. Which interpretation of this sonnet do you most agree with?
I most agree with the interpretation which says that the poet not only parodies the love, but also underlines that love is not dictated from objective qualities, because I think it may be interesting to understand the poet's idea about his sonnet.