My Mistress eyes
Assignment 01: Poetry (Seasons Come to Pass)
William Shakespeare
My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun
1. The poem is written in iambic pentameter with an abab cdcd efef gg rhyming scheme.
My mistress ' eyes are nothing like the sun; a
Coral is far more red than her lips ' red; b
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; a
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. b
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, c
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; d
And in some perfumes is there more delight c
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. d
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know e
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; f
I grant I never saw a goddess go; e
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. f And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare g As any she belied with false compare. g
2. At first the poem seems sweet and loving by the poet, William Shakespeare, uses a biting, icy, cold, disgusting tone when he describes his mistress. In line 1 he says her “eyes are nothing like the sun” which means that the sun is better. In line 3 he compares her breasts with snow and says that they are dun. In line 4 he says that her hair is like wires and in line 7 he says that she smells bad. Here again it seems as if he describes her with disgust and that it is impossible to love a woman who is not perfect. In line 13 and 14 he contrasts himself by saying: “and yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare.” With these two lines, he uses irony to show the reader that it is possible to love an imperfect woman. Although the tone at first seems as biting, icy, cold and disgusting it is actually the complete opposite because the poet uses irony. In fact the tone of the poem is that of love. Love is to love another’s imperfections and true love is rare.
3. At first it seems as if the poet mocks his mistress. This is proved when we look at line
William Shakespeare
My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun
1. The poem is written in iambic pentameter with an abab cdcd efef gg rhyming scheme.
My mistress ' eyes are nothing like the sun; a
Coral is far more red than her lips ' red; b
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; a
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. b
I have seen roses damasked, red and white, c
But no such roses see I in her cheeks; d
And in some perfumes is there more delight c
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. d
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know e
That music hath a far more pleasing sound; f
I grant I never saw a goddess go; e
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. f And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare g As any she belied with false compare. g
2. At first the poem seems sweet and loving by the poet, William Shakespeare, uses a biting, icy, cold, disgusting tone when he describes his mistress. In line 1 he says her “eyes are nothing like the sun” which means that the sun is better. In line 3 he compares her breasts with snow and says that they are dun. In line 4 he says that her hair is like wires and in line 7 he says that she smells bad. Here again it seems as if he describes her with disgust and that it is impossible to love a woman who is not perfect. In line 13 and 14 he contrasts himself by saying: “and yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare.” With these two lines, he uses irony to show the reader that it is possible to love an imperfect woman. Although the tone at first seems as biting, icy, cold and disgusting it is actually the complete opposite because the poet uses irony. In fact the tone of the poem is that of love. Love is to love another’s imperfections and true love is rare.
3. At first it seems as if the poet mocks his mistress. This is proved when we look at line