Sonnet 130

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.
Coral is far more red than her lips red.
If snow be white, why, then her breasts are dun.
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

1. Summary
This poem isn’t very lovely or romantic it’s the other way around: Shakespeare gives a negative image on the personal appearance of a woman. These are three examples: ‘My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun’, ‘Coral is far more red than her lips' red’ and ‘And in some perfumes is there more delight, than in the breath that from my mistress reeks’.
The last two lines give a twist to the poem, those lines make ‘Sonnet 130’ in to a love poem. Despite all the negative personal appearances, he still loved her. As people always say : love is blind.

2. Why did you choose this text?
Sonnet 130 is also used in the Poetry Project. Of all poems I liked Sonnet 130 the most, because the impression changes at the end. Then it becomes a totally different poem. This surprised me.

3. Typical examples of vocabulary and style
In this poem there is rhyme used: sun-dun, cheeks-reeks, sound-ground, etc. Of course a sonnet consists out 14 lines, so also this poem does. The last two lines are the heroic couplet. They give a twist to the whole poem, they make the poem really into a love poem. Rhyme scheme: ababcdcdefefgh

4. Type of text
This is a poem, written by Shakespeare. It belongs to poetic communication.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~fmlekens/Q1609/130.htm