Poetic Devices Used in Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, "My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun," is one of his sonnets to the Dark Lady, a dark-complected figure who dominates his second cycle of sonnets -- 127 through 154 -- and with whom the speaker in the sonnet is having an affair. The poetic devices used here arise from realistic lustfulness, so it's not surprising to find parody, antithesis and allusion among them. Sonnet 130 lives up to critic Harold Bloom's concept of Shakespeare's "balance ... between self-alienation and self-affirmation."

Antithesis, Possible Misogyny

The most notable poetic device is antithesis, the use of opposites, as the poet breaks his mistress into body parts that are negatives of praise: "nothing like the sun," "coral is much more red," "her breasts are dun" and "black wires spring from her head." The device fragments the mistress. University of West Florida scholars consider the poem a "misogynistic rant" that attempts to objectify, thus possess, the woman. Shakespeare may not have been trying for all that, but his use of antithesis also gives her reeking breath, unmusical sound and an earthly tread.

Allusion and Conflict

Allusion, the reference to outside works or events, grounds the poem in conflict, so that we can assume the mistress and poet battle when they're not lusting for each other. Shakespeare-online's website points out the allusion of "red and white roses" referring to the War of the Roses between the houses of York and Lancaster, a vivid memory in Shakespeare's day and which he immortalized in his play, "Richard III." He also alludes to the then-overused metaphor of beloved women as angels who tread clouds, stating that in reality "my mistress ... treads on the ground."

Parody of Petrarch

The entire poem parodies Petrarchan sonnets, as scholars at University of St. Thomas point out, since Shakespeare's "somewhat lackluster" work "seems to undo, discount or invalidate nearly every Petrarchan conceit about feminine beauty employed by his fellow English sonneteers." It does indeed do all that, but the parody device is hardly lackluster: Shakespeare's re-imagining of tired cliches also re-energizes the reality of the lover. His parody of romantic women renders up a real woman, not a goddess, whom Shakespeare considers "as rare as any she belied with false compare." He parodies false flattery with truth.

Imagery, Inversion and In Love

Shakespeare's other poetic devices include inverted language -- "No such roses see I," "in some perfumes is there more delight" -- and his always-remarkable color imagery -- "coral is far more red," "snow be white," "breasts are dun" and "black wires." The overall effect of these devices gravitates toward the final lines, which express the sentiments you might expect from an antithetical, allusive parody of sentimental poetry. The poet loves the mistress, warts and all; he has no illusions of false poetic beauty. Affirmation wins over alienation.

About the Author


Photo Credits

  • Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images