Topic > Love versus Lust in Shakespeare's 130th Sonnet

Numerous men in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries developed a sonnet praising the women they loved, most of whom beautified their physical qualities. On the other hand, Shakespeare did just the opposite, in his 130th sonnet, he states that his mistress lacks most of the qualities that other men mistakenly admire for having acquired their women, rosy cheeks, coral red lips and so away. Shakespeare uses criticism to explain how rare his love for her is and shows a subtle detachment for relationships belied by false comparisons. It tells the reader that true love is not persistent about imperfections but feels devotion regardless of flaws; sends this message through his artwork. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Like most of Shakespeare's works, his 130th sonnet has meaning on numerous stages. First, he pontificates about love as opposed to lust. Any man with these desires will focus on pleasant characteristics such as rosy cheeks, red lips, and fragrant breath, however, Shakespeare does not use a method that praises his mistress. In fact, Shakespeare criticizes his mistress, writing that she possesses none of the qualities for which men admire their women. He states that he does not have rosy cheeks, his lips are not as red as coral and his breath is less pleasant than perfumes. Because of the recognition of his physical flaws, he uses true love to counteract the desire. Shakespeare also subtly chastises the common practice of overemphasizing female beauty in sonnets. To express his multiple meanings, Shakespeare uses various literary devices. Shakespeare uses rhyme and rhyme schemes to shape the sonnet in a more aesthetically pleasing way. The stability of the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme and rhythm highlights Shakespeare's tireless feelings towards his mistress. The 14-line sonnet consists of three quatrains and a final couplet, which emphasizes certain words and helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the theme as the emphasized words relate to the theme; appearance does not affect love. Shakespeare uses conceit to describe what his mistress is not. In the first line of the first quatrain, “My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun,” he applies a simile and metaphor in the second line, “If her hair be threads, black threads grow on her head.” These figures of speech are used to accentuate how his lover is not like sonnet clichés about the expected aspects of beauty that women should possess. Essentially, each line of the sonnet describes its woman through comparisons, excluding the couplet. The use of conceit allows the reader to vividly imagine what his lover is not like. Shakespeare also uses literary devices to assist readers' conception. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In retrospect, Shakespeare's 130th sonnet is noteworthy because it demonstrates a model of how true love should be. While the sonnetist seems to condemn his lover for her inadequacy, he actually articulates the concept that true love distinguishes flaws and admires them despite them. In its 14 lines, this poem conveys three different implications at a unique depth. Most prominently, the sonnet comments on love versus lust. All readers of Shakespeare's time would have understood his observation about mortal sin..