He was far ahead of his time in terms of his writing ability, but also in his view of what should be idealized in a woman, which is her personality. Shakespeare conveys to the reader in Sonnet 130 that he does not care for what the woman looks like on the outside, but instead only cares about what she is like on the inside. She is portrayed to the public not in a way that she normally appears. Below is an image of re-touching that is done on a celebrity after a photo shoot. Society seems to be conformed to seeing women as having to have specific physical qualities and not matter about what is on the inside. This has been a current issue in modern magazines for many years. Shakespeare described a woman as not having all the best physical attributes in the world and still being in love with her. The couplet of the poem also serves to conclude Shakespeare’s thoughts that he loves this woman regardless of her physical features and instead for her personal qualities. The English Sonnet breaks down into 3 quatrains that progressively can help to show shift from describing physical parts of a woman to the personal qualities of a woman. The form and content work together to show William Shakespeare’s ideal woman. The way that a woman walks can also be seen as the way that a woman carries herself and further signifies Shakespeare’s appeal to the woman’s personality and character. The last quatrain finishes by describing the way that the woman walks, but never compares it negatively. This is no longer examining the physical parts of a woman, but instead the personality of the woman. Now, however, he compares the woman’s voice and says that he loves to hear her speak. All previous comparisons were taking place with a physical part of the woman he was describing. In this quatrain he says, “I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath far more pleasing sound…” Although he states again that something else is better than what his woman has, he begins this quatrain with saying that he still loves to hear her speak even though it might not be as good as music. Looking at the content of the third quatrain offers a slightly different look into Shakespeare’s view of a woman. Coral is considered to obtain a very dark and defined red color, which would also be used to describe gorgeous lips, but here Shakespeare says that coral is much more red than his mistress’ lips. He also says in this quote that coral is more red than his woman’s lips. Her eyes do not come close to resemblance of the sun, which would be used to describe a pair of beautiful eyes. For example, Shakespeare writes “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun Coral is far more red, than her lips red…” Here, Shakespeare compares his mistress’ eyes to the sun and says that they are nothing like it. The first two quatrains of the poem negatively compare the woman’s eyes, lips, breasts, hairs, cheeks, and her breath with physical objects in nature that are much more appealing than what is seen in this woman. The content of the sonnet describes many attributes of a woman. By understanding that he loved the woman he was describing throughout the poem, the reader can analyze the content of “Sonnet 130” to pick out what Shakespeare does and does not like in a woman. Also, by seeing how the sonnet was broken up into 3 quatrains, the reader can see the progressive change from physical to personal parts of the woman who Shakespeare describes. The couplet serves as the turning point in the poem where Shakespeare goes from describing things that he dislikes about his woman, to telling the reader that he loves her despite these flaws. However, one specific part of the form of the English Sonnet, the couplet, provides additional evidence for how Shakespeare conveys to the reader his personal view of the ideal woman. All of these aspects of the English Sonnet help to convey part of Shakespeare’s overall meaning of the realistic view of women. Lastly, a key part of the English Sonnet is its scansion, which is iambic pentameter. There is also a specific rhyming scheme: ababcdcdefefgg. These types of poems are structured so that 3 quatrains are followed by a couplet. “Sonnet 130” was written in the form of an English Sonnet. Further analysis of this poems’ form and content reveals Shakespeare’s personal view as to what makes a woman attractive. “Sonnet 130” is known for its realistic portrayal of women and its mockery of previously written sonnets where women were idealized. William Shakespeare is known for his masterful plays and famous poetic pieces.
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