Explication of My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun

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;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As many as she, belied with false compare.

This poem dramatizes the conflict between an ordinary woman, and the ideal “dream” woman. In, My Mistress’ Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun, Shakespeare compares hi

s woman to the fairy-tale like woman with the rosy cheeks, and beautiful voice. This poem by Shakespeare is different. In this poem Shakespeare chooses to personify his mistress as a women of minimal beauty, if any at all.

For reasons unknown to me, Shakespeare chooses to restate the title in the first line of the poem. From the statement “my mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” the poet immediately lets the reader know his mistress is nothing special. Her eyes don’t shine bright as the sun does, he feels as if there is no comparison. He goes on to compare her lips to coral, a deep reddish orange color. Although the poet doesn’t go into detail about his mistress’ lips, the negative way he describes her eyes leads me to believe her lips are nothing special. He continues his description of his mistress by referring to her breasts as dun, a

Some topics in this essay:
Sun Shakespeare, Eyes Sun”, mistress’ eyes, breasts dun, color breasts, Mistress’ Eyes, mistress’ eyes sun”, mistress’ eyes sun, heaven love, eyes sun”, brownish gray, shakespeare chooses, eyes sun, pleasing sound, poem shakespeare,