Read the lines of verse.

From Sonnet 130, by William Shakespeare

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.

What is the main idea of the first quatrain of Sonnet 130?

The speaker thinks his love is far superior to the beauty of nature.

The speaker considers his love less attractive than objects in nature.

The speaker is comparing his love to others.

The speaker describes his love as an earthy being.

Question

Willow Norris

English

24 November, 09:27

Read the lines of verse.

From Sonnet 130, by William Shakespeare

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.

What is the main idea of the first quatrain of Sonnet 130?

The speaker thinks his love is far superior to the beauty of nature.

The speaker considers his love less attractive than objects in nature.

The speaker is comparing his love to others.

The speaker describes his love as an earthy being.

+4

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Allisson Chung · Answer 1

I believe the correct answer is: The speaker describes his love as an earthy being.

In "Sonnet 130", William Shakespeare describes his love as an earthly being, as opposed to the manners of Renaissance in which the loved ones were described as metaphysical, beyond natural beauty. Paradoxically, by showing his lover as pale in comparison to the sun, corals and snow, Shakespeare intensifies the power of his love towards her. Even if she isn’t celestial maiden, he still loves her.