by Cicely Richard

Created on: September 16, 2008

William Shakespeare is known for writing some of the best poetry that talks about romantic love. One of his most famous sonnets is Sonnet 18, which begins with the line "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day." In this work of poetry, he describes his love in beautiful and glowing terms. However, many people are not familiar with Sonnet 130. Although this poem is not as romantic, on the surface, as some of his other works, it illustrates how love can blossom even if the significant other is not physically attractive.

The first three lines of the poem read, "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." This descriptive opening does not paint an attractive picture of the woman being talked about. As a matter of fact her eyes don't glisten, her lips are not seductive and her breast are dull. Initially, this does not sound like a love poem.

Shakespeare continues to paint an unattractive picture of this mistress. He says, "If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. If I have seen roses damasked, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks" (lines 4-6). Again, she is not perceived as beautiful. Her hair is coarse and wiry and her cheeks have no color and luster.

Her unattractiveness goes beyond her physical appearance. In lines seven through ten, he relates other objectionable things about his love. He says, " As in some perfumes is there more delight tan 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." The woman in question is also plagued with bad breath and an unpleasant voice. However, when he talks about liking the sound of her voice, a shift occurs in the sonnet.

At the end of the poem, he justifies all of the negative things said about this mistress. He says of her, "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 is rare as any she belied with false compare" (lines 11-14). Although this woman is not some kind of goddess and is very human, he loves her for who she is because she is an uncommon love and has no pretenses.

While this may not be the type of poem that can be found in greeting cards or that people copy to give to their lovers, it is still about love. It is unorthodox because it looks at love from a human, imperfect point of view. True love can come from a package that may outwardly seem unappealing.

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