1. Sonnet 130 William Shakespeare
Shakespeare wrote over 20 poems about the Dark Lady who remains a mysterious figure. We try and build up a picture of her from the poem.
Images of the authors are courtesy of The University of Texas at Austin.
An unconventional love poem

2. The poet's attitude toward the poem's subject matter, as interpreted by the reader. The poem’s tone is created by the poem's diction, syntax, use of figurative language and rhyme.
Syntax refers to word order, and the way in which it works with grammatical structures. As we are used to hearing things in certain orders, the effect of breaking with normal syntax is to draw attention to what is being said.

3. Some prior theory 
Understanding
PARODY

4. A Parody is a work that mimics, in an absurd or ridiculous way, the conventions and style of another work - in order to derive ridicule, ironic comment or affectionate fun.

5. Parody
“Any cultural practice which provides a relatively suggestive imitation of another cultural production or practice.”
Below are some parodies of well-known images, texts and movies
The Nike Tick

8. Taylor Swift Bad Blood Music Video
Bad Blood Parody

9. What is a sonnet?
A sonnet is a 14 line poem which traditionally is used as a way to declare love for someone – you say brilliant things about them and tell them how much you love them!
Early sonnets were used to express one’s love for someone else – they were usually used to idolise a woman.
DISCUSS: What sort of things would you put in a sonnet?
What kind of comparisons would you make when speaking about a loved one?
If you loved them would you compare them to something nice or horrible?

10. Form of a
Shakespearean Sonnet

12. Sonnet 130 A sonnet: 14 lines iambic pentameter
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. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
A sonnet:
14 lines
iambic pentameter
carefully patterned rhyme scheme.
Often used in love poetry;
Its perfect form could be seen to
reflect the perfect nature of
love and romance
The iambic pentameter is similar to a heartbeat. Try reading it!

13. Notice the rhyme scheme – ABAB and then ends in a rhyming couplet.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; A Coral is far more red than her lips' red; B If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;A If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. B I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,C But no such roses see I in her cheeks; D And in some perfumes is there more delight C Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. D I love to hear her speak, yet well I know E That music hath a far more pleasing sound;F I grant I never saw a goddess go; E My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:F And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare G As any she belied with false compare. G
Notice the rhyme scheme –
ABAB and then ends in a rhyming couplet.

14. But in his unconventional love poem Shakespeare
Eyes and lips are traditionally compared and are commonly referred to when describing female beauty
A traditional comparison
In a conventional love poem the writer would exaggerate how beautiful his mistress is:
My mistress' eyes are more
fantastic than the sun;
But in his unconventional love poem Shakespeare
underplays how beautiful his mistress is:
What effect does this line have on the reader? “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;” Does it make us wonder what her eyes are like?
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
He has turned around the convention of exaggerated praise

15. He carries on with the unconventional approach in the next lines
desirable feature
Her lips aren't red
Pink-orange colour
Coral is far more red than her lips' red
Something
of a cliche
The conventional
Grey, brown colour
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun
Is he saying she is not
beautiful or is he saying
she is beautiful in a different way?
Can we answer this
or do we need to read on?

16. In the next lines he moves on to describe other physical features
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
So she is not
conventionally
beautiful
Gold wires were used
in head-dress and
compared to golden hair
Blondes were more
highly rated
mixed
A woman would usually be compared to something like a rose
Is he disparaging his mistress or do these lines enhance the idea of unconventional beauty?
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white
But she doesn’t
have this complexion
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

17. The author moves from how she looks to how she smells
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
“Reeks” didn’t have as
negative a meaning in
Shakespeare’s time, but it
was still considered rude.
In conventional love poems
you would say her breath was
sweeter than perfume
But Shakespeare takes an
unconventional approach

18. The next feature is the sound of her voice
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
He’s not being critical of her voice:
all he’s saying is that music
has a more pleasing sound
A turning point in the poem – even though he knows there is music that sounds better, he would rather listen to his love speak. He actually likes something about her!!
A direct statement; he would rather listen to his mistress than music, even though music sounds superior.
In the conventional love
poem the writer
would say that her voice
was sweeter than music

19. The poet describes how his mistress walks
However, divine comparisons are not relevant, for his beloved is beautiful without having to be a Goddess. He is being REALISTIC about her.
The poet describes how his mistress walks
I admit
to you
I’ve never seen
a goddess walk
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
My mistress walks like anyone else,
on the ground, she is earthly rather than god-like
In a conventional love
poem she would be
described as
a goddess
He’s stating that his love is human and
experiences the realities of human fault.
He is admitting she is flawed.

20. So does the poet think that his mistress is beautiful or what?
The last two lines are referred to as a rhyming couplet.
So does the poet think that his mistress is beautiful or what?
exceptional
Direct statement, telling
us what he thinks
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
The poet thinks she’s beautiful but
doesn’t want to describe her in a
cliched way such as other poets
did during his time.
She is as beautiful as
any woman who is praised
with false comparisons

21. A sonnet has 14 lines rhyme scheme The first 12 lines are ABAB
3 quatrains
Groups of 4 lines
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.
And ends with a
closing couplet
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Sums things up

22. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare G
As any she belied with false compare. G
The rhyme scheme of the rhyming couplet emphasises the rhyming couplet
at the end; this is where the true
nature of his feelings are revealed.
Shakespeare is mocking clichés; he wants to show real love as something deeper than a string of unrealistic compliments.
Shakespeare is breaking the tradition of love poetry; the idea of courtly love is replaced with something more ‘real’, more genuine.

23. He makes many negative comparisons.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
The poet is satirising the tradition of comparing one’s love to all things beautiful, divine and immortal.
He makes many negative comparisons.
But these final lines suggest that she is beyond all these things just by being herself: mortal and approachable.
Rare = precious, superb, of fine and unusual quality
He thinks that his love is more special, than those which are based on superficial comparisons.