An In-depth Analysis of William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130

Of William Shakespeare's one hundred fifty-four sonnets, his one hundred thirtieth sonnet is one of the most intriguing to examine. Reading this poem, one can't help but realize that he was obviously a very deep, passionate, and learned man; he was very open with how he felt and was able to express it in a way that was very exact and easy to comprehend. In his sonnets, which were more like entries in his diary, he talked a lot about his love life. He spends the entire Sonnet 130 pointing out the faults and shortcomings of his lover, and how he thinks any other man would be simply repulsed by this woman. We see how he conforms to the traditional structure of poetry writing yet also breaks away from traditional form by describing the object of his affections in a way never seen before. We also see that while on its surface Sonnet 130 looks like an unorthodox love poem, we will come to notice that it is also a criticism of poetry writing of the period.

Traditionally, Shakespearean sonnets are written in fourteen lines, consisting of three quatrains and a couplet, and Sonnet 130 is no exception. What sets this poem apart from the rest and makes it so intriguing is the fact that Shakespeare is not just writing possibly the greatest love poem ever, but he is doing it while simultaneously mocking the floweriness of traditional Elizabethan love poetry. Instead of building his lover up in his poem like all other poets of the time, Shakespeare spends his time pointing out her flaws, from her pale skin to her awful breath. There is no use of grandiose allusion; he does not compare his lover to Venus, and neither is there any evocation to Morpheus. Shakespeare deliberately uses typical love poetry metaphors against themselves to illustrate how imperfect his lover is. He states that his lovers eyes are nothing like the sun, he has seen coral that is redder than her lips, and that black wires grow on her head.

Clearly, Shakespeare is offering more in this poem that merely playing upon the traditional use of a blazon, which looks to describe parts of a woman's body in grand terms. He denies all the exaggerated comparisons, usually expected in a sonnet, like cheek to roses, breath to perfume, voice to music and finally woman to a goddess who does not touch the earth. He does not falsely compare her to inanimate objects; women are not like corals, roses, or snow. What Shakespeare is saying here is people were not created in the image of perfection, so their characters cannot be compared as such. Reading Sonnet 130, one could conclude that other poets were never in love with the women they were portraying, because they never described the true mortal characteristics of the female, as Shakespeare did.

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They only discussed the short-lived qualities of a woman, which fade as the years go by. As the saying goes, Beauty is only skin deep. Shakespeare gets more intense as he shows how profoundly he loves her despite the fact that she is not perfect. It is the woman's ability to grasp his interest, beyond the limitations of beauty, which enchants him so. She is able to arouse his heart with what she says and not simply with the sound of her voice. It did not matter to him that she was not beautiful; all that mattered was that they were on the same wavelength. Love does not need these conceits in order to be real, and a woman does not have to look like a flower or the sun in order to be desirable. It is not the appearance that makes a man or woman love, but the way in which they express their love. This is Shakespeare's own little moral to the tale; one should not judge a book by its cover.

Despite the fact her lips were not full, he yearned for them. Though her cheeks were not rosy, he felt her glow. Her hair was certainly not soft, and her breath did not project perfume, but yet he was captivated. She couldn't sing to save her life, yet he loved to hear her voice. When she walked you would not call her graceful, but still he cherished her clumsy strides. Sonnet 130 takes the love poem to a deeper, more intimate level where looks are no longer important; it is inner beauty that touches the soul. It paints a picture of true unconditional love, giving a person hope that they too may one day find their soul mate. Written by a man who has obviously learned to love with his heart and not his eyes, Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 ends up being a true love poem, one that is more honest and touching than the poems that it sets out to parody can ever hope to be.

Sonnet 130, like the other four poems in this poetry pack, is about one thing and one thing only: love. Love can bring about many different reactions from a person, and it is these reactions which make love, a simple emotion, into such a complicated feeling. Love makes a person uncertain and insecure (Loves Secret), makes a person feel happy and bless (How Do I Love Thee?), drives a person mad (10 Things I Hate About You), and even makes a person feel at peace with the world (Porcelina of the Vast Oceans). Ultimately, as so beautifully demonstrated in Sonnet 130, true love is when one can overlook another's flaws and love them for who they are and that I believe, is the key to life and happiness: total and consuming love.

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