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Sonnet 130


The dramatic setting is not specifically specified.
             The meter of sonnet 130 is mostly iambic pentameter. Each foot has an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable. The pattern is unstressed, stressed and so on. Although I believe that some syllables can have either or a stress or unstress it depends on the person's oral presentation of the sonnet. For example, the second line of sonnet 130 can be transformed into the following accented patterns.
             Coral is far more red than her lips" red;.
             The first syllable of "Coral" would be accented and the second syllable unaccented creating a trochiac foot. The last two words in the phrase "lips" red" could both be accented creating a spondaic foot. Although sonnet 130 is mostly in iambic pentameter, other accented patterns could be incorporated. Each line of sonnet 130 has ten syllables. Although in the 21st century we pronounce the word "heaven" as two syllables in sonnet 130, line 13, I believe that it has to be pronounced as "heav"n" to be counted as one syllable to fit the metrical pattern. Sonnet 130 also contains a couplet. The last two lines 13 and 14 are rhymed iambic couplets. The last two words of the lines rhyme, "rare and compare." Shakespeare uses the rhyme scheme of the English sonnet adjusting its form to ABABCDCDEFEFGG. Shakespeare uses this rhyme scheme in many of his sonnets making his lyrical poetry symmetrical. Sonnet 130 has a masculine rime because the final syllables of each line are accented. Shakespeare uses end rime throughout the entire sonnet making his rhyming words come at the end of each line. He uses the ABAB rhyme scheme, which creates the end rime. He also takes advantage of using caesuras in his poetry to separate his thoughts. Although punctuation marking is not listed in every line, an implied caesura could be intended. In the first line of sonnet 130, Shakespeare does not use a comma to imply a caesura. However, one could imply a caesura after the word "eyes," making the phrase "My mistress" eyes, are nothing like the sun" rather than "My mistress" eyes are nothing like the sun.


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