Sonnet 130 "My Mistress' Eyes"

• William Shakespeare


  English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers.
• William Shakepeare's work

  Plays and poems that capture human emotion and conflict.
• William Shakespeare, The Bard of Avon


  English poet, playwright and one of the greatest English authors.
• William Shakespeare Personal Life


  Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, married and became playwright in London.

  (Little is known about his life.)
• Sonnet 130 Title


  Shakespeare's sonnets do not have titles, so we refer to them by a number.
• Where does the number system around Shakespeare's sonnets come from and why is it important?


  They are numbered based on publication order, which matters because they where released in groups based on subject matter.

  (All published together in 1609.)
• What does the number '130' say about Sonnet 130?


  It belongs to a group of sonnets about a 'dark lady'.
• Sonnet 130 Speaker


  A speaker who uses sarcastic, satirical tone, but finally shows that he does actually love his 'dark lady'.
• When was Sonnet 130 published?


  1609
• Sonnet 130 Historical Context

  At this time, many other poets wrote artificially praising love poems about ladies, which Shakespeare contrasted with this parody.
• Dark lady


  A characters from Shakespeare's sonnets, who was likely to be a mistress.
• Sonnet 130 Genre

  All of Shakespeare's sonnets have the same structure; a shakespearean sonnet.
• Shakespearean Sonnet

  A sonnet containing three quatrains and a concluding couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme pattern abab cdcd efef gg.
• Sonnet 130 Rhyme Scheme


  First quatrain:

  ABAB

  Second quatrain:

  CDCD

  Third quatrain:

  EFEF

  Concluding Couplet:

  GG.
• Sonnet 130 Metre


  Iambic pentameter for each line.
• Sonnet 130 Volta, Sonnet 130 Chute


  The first three quatrains contain criticism on the dark lady, but the couplet contains praise.
• Sonnet 130 Form


  Fourteen lines, Three quatrains and an ending couplet.
• Quatrain


  Four lined Stanza.
• Couplet


  Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme.
• Iambic pentameter


  Lines consist of ten syllables which form ten iambs.
• Iamb


  An unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
• Sonnet

  Poem which expresses one idea, consists of 14 lines, which are usually in iambic pentameter.
• Sonnet 130 Themes


  1. Appearance and Love.

  2. Literature and Poetry.
• Appearance and Love Teme


  The Speaker pokes fun at the idea that women have to be beautiful to be loved.
• And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

  As any she belied with false compare.

  Translate this.

  Yet, I think my love as wonderful as any woman who is misrepresent by false praise and comparison.
• Literature and Poetry Theme

  The Speaker satirically insults his mistress in order to show that praise from other sonnets is ridiculous and misses the point of love.