William Shakespeare Education

William Shakespeare is known for writing love poetry. Many individuals are familiar with “Sonnet 18,” which begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day." In this poetic work, he describes his lover in glowing terms. However, in “Sonnet 130,” Shakespeare illustrates a more realistic view of love. Although this poem may not seem as romantic as his other works, it illustrates how love blossoms even if the significant other is not physically attractive.

The first three lines of the poem do not paint an attractive picture of the woman in question. They 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." She is a plain woman with eyes that don’t glisten, and her lips are not seductive and her breasts are dull. Initially, it sounds as if she is being insulted instead of praised.