An Analysis of the Similarities in the Two Poems My Mistress Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun by William Shakespeare and A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne
Analyzing Love Poems on the Example of William Shakespeare's My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun and Elizabeth Barrett Browning's How Do I Love Thee?
My Mistress' Eye Are Nothing Like the Sun is a sonnet composed by the English poet William Shakespeare It is one of the many poems in his 154-sonnet sequence that is devoted to his mysterious young man or "fair youth". As one of the most famous English sonnets, this poem has been widely studied and written about due to its romantic yet satirical themes of love and beauty.
My Mistress' Eye Are Nothing Like the Sun is a poem that uses witty imagery and figurative language to express the poet’s true admiration and love for his beloved. He portrays her as an imperfect beauty and de-romanticizes conventional notions of love by stating that her eyes are not like the sun and her lips are nothing like the roses. This poem is open to varied interpretations, however, the basic idea is that the poet speaks honestly about his beloved’s physical beauty and truly loves her for who she is and not because she looks like conventional beauty standards.
The five best examples of this poem include the following:
1. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun: The poet begins with this simple line to emphasize how her eyes are not perfect and flawless like the sun. He wants to represent her as a woman who is true to herself and loves her imperfections.
2. Coral is far more red than her lips' red: This metaphor conveys that her lips are not red or overly attractive and instead, they are far more average looking than coral.
3. If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun: This comparison is not only clever but also humorous as the poet compares his beloved’s skin color to snow.
4. But mine is all as black as ink: Here, the poet is trying to portray himself as dark and mysterious in comparison to his beloved’s fair and delicate features.
5. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know, That music hath a far more pleasing sound: This couplet is meaningful in that the poet explains that her voice is as precious and pleasing to him as music.