Passage: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another, Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, Unbless some mother.
Response: In this passage by Shakespeare, he talks about having a baby before you get too old. In those times people were looked down on if they were not married or didn't have kids. I ask the question," Is it still true today?" In the society of Mobile that I grew up in it is unusual if you are not married before the age of thirty. In the families that I grew up around and even in my own family. You go to college, meet you partner, get a job, get married, and then have kids. I dont know about the college and job part in Shakespeares time, but it seems that the ideas for marriage in his time and in my time are still accepted in these two different time periods. Being that I'm a twenty nine year old man, I get questions all the time of "why I'm not married, or why don't you have kids?" My response to them is IM NOT READY! I dont know if today we are looked down at as much as in Shakespeare time. It seems that depending where you were raised, depends on what is accepted.
Jessica Kiser Title: Real vs. Fake Love Then and Now
Passage: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips..." Sonnet 130
Response: Shakespeare was a revolutionary man in his day, when everyone was talking, writing, and praising the beauty of young women he wrote of a plain woman that meant more to him than a beautiful one because she was real. In today’s society we see similar patterns of the days of old where we idolize the beautiful people. We tend to try to change ourselves and become like the beautiful people. Society has always had an appetite for beauty but at what expense? Do we lose ourselves and our truth? Do we become fake in the ever present fight to be the best or most beautiful person in the world? What can be done to stop this reign of fake beauty? People would have to change to fix this problem. However, it is hard to change people, especially when they have not changed since the days of Shakespeare. The writings of Shakespeare could teach society a good couple of lessons. Such as beauty is not everything and it is better to love a person for whom they are instead of what they are. In our world today there are people working on changing the body image of today. Companies like Dove who features real women in their commercials; women who are not the skinniest, or the most beautiful. Shakespeare’s writings not only related to his time but also to today and if more people were to read his writings they would learn (or at least be exposed to) a different view of the world!
Basic Passage When my love swears that she is made of truth, I do believe her, though I know she lies, That she might think me some untutored youth, Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties. Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, Although she knows my days are past the best, Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue: On both sides this is simple truth suppressed. But wherefore says she not is unjust? And wherefore say not that I am old? Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust, And age in love loves not to have years told. Therefore I lie with her and she with me And in our faults by lies we flattered be. - William Shakespeare
Response This sonnet left me questioning if my husband were to cheat on me and I knew about it without him knowing I knew about it, would I stay with him and be able to keep quiet. I think it would only be for selfish reasons to stay. Loving someone so much that you would let them have their affairs and you turn the other the way is selfish to me. I would want better for myself. Although the partner may love you doesn’t mean that they respect you and having an affair is disrespectful and a slap in the face to me.
Sometimes, partners will look a blind eye to their spouse’s behavior out of hope that things will change. Sometimes they do, but you'll never know if it's a change for good. Sometimes, partners may tolerate it because they desire to cheat as well. Maybe it's "for the children" or because they are keeping up appearances for family or social reasons. There could be religious reasons, like divorce being considered taboo for certain religions, but no matter what the reason may be, honesty has been taken away and unless the two partners talk about what has happened and decide to more forward working the relationship out together, then the relationship is one big lie.
In the sonnet, the woman is a lot younger than the man and he knows she is unfaithful because he is getting old. I just wonder why she wanted to be with him in the first place? Wasn’t he older than her when they got together?
In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, Shakespeare describes his mistress as someone basically lower than a Plain-Jane type girl. This woman seems to have nothing very interesting about her: she has pale lips, boring breasts, and basically her breath is a stench. But Shakespeare obviously has a superior perception about her.
Main Passage:
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.
Correlation:
The society we live in today is unfortunately an image-obsessed world: girls do not eat in order to stay skinny, and guys have become “health nuts”. We always worry about our appearance and what others think about us. But Shakespeare shows in this sonnet the reality of TRUE love and appearance. This love is not the mushy love that you see portrayed in our media (i.e. flirting in an annoying way, saying cheesy “you’re prettier than diamonds” clichés), but he obviously is drawn to her internal self. Even though music is pleasant to his ears, Shakespeare would much rather listen to her voice that may have no melody to it. He then quickly affirms that divine comparisons are not applicable, for his adored wife is quite beautiful to him without being a goddess, or what we would call a “hot chick” in our society. If this world would only take heed to the simple messages in Shakespeare’s writings that can still apply to us today.
I am in complete I am in complete agreement with the author’s rebuttal of the syrupy fake idealistic views of love that is marketed to our culture today and from the gist of this sonnet, it seems as though there has always been a fight against it. If real love was presented in movies and books, it would solve a lot of relationship problems, in our culture. People learn basically everything from SOCIETY…., and it seem our society promotes fake convention of love and marriage (too good to be true), because we are taught the unattainable idealistic views about romance people never learn about “real life”. They go into marriage believing that it is supposed to be perfect like they have seen in the movies…people have false hope, and most detrimental of all they have FALSE EXPECTATIONS of what their spouse is supposed to be and do for them. These expectations are always unattainable. When peoples dreams of what marriage and romance fall short of what “true love” is supposed to be their relationship crumbles because it was built upon a FAKE foundation. Real love is not easy, but it is the only kind that works and fulfills us, because the marketed view of love is a crumbling foundation that is ruining many peoples lives, I am thrilled that there is poetry written to combat it.
"From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty's rose might never die."
Think about a time when you’ve been put in a situation where you need help from another. Who did you call? Is it the friend you met in college or the girl/guy you’ve been dating for a couple months? These people might be reliable if by some chance you were extremely lucky in meeting someone that will do anything for a person they have known but for a short while. But the odds are slim. The only people one can put complete reliance and trust into are one’s family. The family structure is the strongest bond that a group of people can have. A bond of blood is inseparable, even with major differences among family members. My sister left for college when I was thirteen. She’s held a grudge against my father since high school and she still acts a little funny around him. But the fact is if anything happened and she needed help, my parents and I would be at her side in a second and willing to do anything it takes to make the situation better.
I have butted heads with my dad as well, mainly over stupid crap I did in high school. I vowed to never spank my kids or treat them the way he did my sister and I. But the more I’ve grown, the more I understand the need for firm discipline in the life education of children. Life lessons must be passed down from generation to generation through family. Strong American family structure exists, but is often demonized by pop culture. It’s time to return to our values and keep the Family together.
“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....”
Correlation: This sonnet is written in a rather unconventional tone that shows the reader what love is like in the real world. The speaker points out the absurdities of false comparisons throughout the poem and touches on the stereotypes with a sarcastic grace. He points out that it is not realistic to talk of such things, and that the meaning of these clichés has all but diminished from being overused. In the mind of the speaker, to be truly sweet means to be original and come straight from the heart. One the other side of the spectrum, “fake” love is the material that you see in advertisements and entertainment. It is two beautiful people laying on a beach on an island resort or a man buying his gorgeous wife a huge diamond and a dozen roses. It is saying that your girlfriends eyes are that of a goddess when in all reality they are just a lovely shade of green. Society has only began to think this way because of the mediums of advertisement: music, television, radio, newspapers, department stores, and magazines to name just a few. Today it is all about spending more money and being materialistic in order to enjoy or express your love for someone instead of just doing something that actually conveys your genuine feelings. I think that it is the people that create a birthday card for a friend instead of buying one that truly know love, not the beautiful people on the beach.
Basic Passage: “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” – William Shakespeare in Sonnet 130
Response: Shakespeare effectively describes what love is in this passage. Popular culture portrays love as the perfect lighting with the perfect couple who skip off into the perfect sunset and live a perfect life together. The reality is that love is none of those things. Love is a conscious decision that we make. We choose to love someone regardless of all of their imperfections. We decide that we are going to stick by their side regardless of how crazy they make us or how complicated life gets. People do not fall in and out of love. We simply choose whether we want to love or whether we want to call it quits. Shakespeare describes his lover as far less than perfect yet she is the world to him. He loves her in her entirety with no regard to her flaws. That is how love truly works. It is terribly easy to pick apart someone’s faults. However, it takes effort to love them in spite of their shortcomings. Shakespeare’s description of love is far more inspiring than that which the media depicts in today’s society. It can be overwhelming to think that you have to be perfect in order to find love or that if your relationship is not perfect you must not love one another. Shakespeare’s honesty is so much more refreshing because it is real and feasible. When you find that one person who chooses to love you and you choose to love them regardless of how imperfect you each may be that is when you find happiness.
What is love? Is it holding hands, or showing even hugging someone in public? To me when you love someone you do not have to show it all the time. Shakespeare talks about how he loves his mistress even though she is not the prettiest lady or even has the best breath. Basic Passage: “My Mistress eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red then her lips’ red;” William Shakespeare In television shows now you see that people do not date ugly people. This is dumb to me because when you “love” someone it does not matter what they look like but how they act. In A Walk to Remember Landon, the most popular guy in school falls in love with Jamie, the most non-popular girl in school. This goes to show that sometimes in television they do go on how one act and not just looks. The media plays a big role in people lives because they see all the pretty people who get married and they think “Well I will never find someone to love me like that”. Which is not true, I do think that there is someone out there for everyone no matter what you look like. I know a lot of people that just look at looks and then the relationship ends because they have no personality. That is why you have to make sure that someone can make you laugh and you can have fun with them no matter what you are doing. Instead of looking at the faults of people maybe people should look deeper and everyone would be a lot happier.
True Love Basic Passage- I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some pérfumes 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.- Sonnet 130 William Shakespeare
Response: In William Shakespeare’s sonnet he really explains what love is. Love is not always perfect and you don’t always get a supermodel to love. Shakespeare really explains what love is; in the raw without being gushy and making love seem to be what it is not. People who have never been in love probably look forward to perfection; they think their lover will be the opposite of all of the imperfections Shakespeare described. Shakespeare explains that love is much more than physical beauty, love is about inner beauty and being able to put up with everything your partner does and says. Love is about being able to still love someone after they share their honest opinion with you. Shakespeare is honest as he can be about love in this sonnet and his honesty is what makes his love so true and hard to break. In his last few sentences she says “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare”. He is saying that his lover is as special as any woman whom poets have lied about with false comparisons. Saying this is what makes his lover understand that she may not be perfect but he really does love her truly.
“Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another…”
A lot of Shakespeare’s sonnets encouraged people to be fertile and have children. He must have thought very high of this since he wrote of it so much. I feel that this is an issue that should be touched on nowadays as well as it was during Shakespeare’s time. In today’s society people are having fewer children or are waiting longer to have them. In past times couples would have kids right after marriage and would have plenty of them. In today’s society couples average only around two children. This is due to a change in society. In the past when a couple would have a child the wife, who was usually a stay at home wife, would take care of it while the father went to work. Well, due to women’s rights and more job opportunities opening for women, wives are more likely to have jobs. Also since women have better job opportunities some would rather try to pursue a higher level career than get married and have children. This leaves less time for couples to have children or for them to wait and have a family later down the road. Since this happens some family names end up dying off due to the lack off children. If more articles promoted couples to have kids like Shakespeare’s did then maybe this wouldn’t be a problem.
Theme – Three types of love Eros, Philia, and Agape. Basic Passage – Sonnet 130 “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.” Correlation – This passage immediately made me think of the different types of love. In the English language it is only one word with many definitions, but in Greek they have separate words to help us distinguish our feelings. First is Eros what many people think of as romantic love. I couldn’t think of a better way to say it than www.sjchurchofchrist.org; “eros is dependent upon the situation and circumstances. As long as a couple is enjoying a romantic situation, eros can thrive. But, as soon as hurtful words or actions appear, eros simply evaporates…it can not provide a reliable basis for building a deep and meaningful relationship” although many try. This also made me think of the movie “Enchanted” where the princess has no idea what real love is. To her, love is a knight in shining armor that can sing a duet in harmony with her, while birds chirp along and chipmunks dance. Eros is that silly feeling you get that makes you do strange things. The next type of love is Philia, where the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, gets it’s name. Although this is the love between friends, it is still very much dependent of situations, expectations, and time. We all have friends we have let slip away. Thr third type of love, Agape, is the type of love most often used in the biblical sense of Christ and how we should love one another. Agape is much stronger than the first two types, it requires commitment. One must “proactively seek someone's well-being”…”agape is capable of acting in a hostile environment where there are no warm fuzzy feelings.”…”When a spouse chooses to speak and act toward the mate with agape, this creates the loving environment in which eros and philia can thrive!” This kind of love in unconditional, or should I say true love.
What is True Love..? Love in Shakespeare and Love today...
Basic Passage: "Look in thy glass and tell the face tou viewest Now is the time that face should form another, Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, un bless some mother. For where is she so fair whose uneared womb Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?"
After reading many Shakesoeare sonnets in class, we have found they all seem to do with love and relationships in many different ways. After having read these sonnets, i think that love was viewed in a much different way then we view love today.I also think that men and women preceived their significant others in much different ways as well. For example, in Sonnet 1, Shakspeare views a women of being so beautifuland pure, and in order for her to stey this way he deny her of child. This is much different than how I think men view women today, I do not think they think like this. Most of the time if a person has interest for a significant other they arent so caring... they will go for what they want. Shakespeare also describes, in his sonnet, that if this beautiful pure women is her mother's own child, as is every other child of mother. In this sonnet he is saying that if one ever wants to see theirself at a young age again, then look at their child; No matter your age or even the wrinkles on your face having a child will be like looking back in time. Although this is how Sakespeare views children...I do not necessarily believe that this is how we view our lives and chilren's lives as well. I feel that in todays time children are a precious new life which we dont think of as our own; or to look back on our past, I think its a time to teach your own child what u have learned while growing into the adult you are. For we want what is best for our children today, some may not want to look at their children only to see their past. One final message Shakespeare sends in his sonnets is in 130, he states that the woman he is in love with is not a beautiful face that most people would obesse over when one is in love. But Shakespeare loves her anyway. This relates to love today because I think that this is not so much true today, we stereo type significant others, to the t. In relationshipstoday people decide what they want and look for specific qualities, looks, and traits. To where as Shakespeare's love is real...its not fake or marketed; unlike the way we most likely fall in love with perfection!! In conclusion, I feel that love and relationships differ greatly form the times of Shakespeare til today!!
Shakespeare’s Version of Love as Compared to Today Basic Passage: “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” Sonnet 116 In Shakespeare’s poetry it is clear that love was a thing that everyone in his era had and once it happened the person’s whole life and everything they did was dedicated to this one person, their one love. In today’s era that rarely, if ever, happens. With today’s society having divorce rates up to fifty percent within the first few years of marriage it is clear that love and devotion is not the main thing on people’s minds today. However, in Shakespeare’s poems he speaks of eternal love and devotion. People now have a problem with devotion we have grown accustomed to “Hallmarks” version of love and now every miniscule problem that appears in a relationship people believe that it’s not what it should be and break up. Today monogamy is mostly a thing of the past. People see a flaw in their “lover” and look for another person to fill that void instead of making it work with the current spouse. In Shakespeare’s sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” he speaks of a woman with deep love comparing her to the earth around him. Though men today would never dare write such words in fear of being thought of as less manly which is why Shakespeare is no longer of any use today.
Basic Passage: Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young, Although she knows my days are past the best, Simply I credit her false-speaking tounge: On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed. But wherefore says she not she is unjust? And wherefore say not I that I am old? Response: Shakespeare is focusing on accepting some lies as truth because he knows if he demands the truth she will end the relationship and that is not what he wants. He is also saying that he knows she is with another man at times, because he knows that he is too old for her. Their entire relationship is based on lies and they both realize it. As they realize that they lie to eachother, they have both come to accept it. I feel that in some relationships today, it is the same way. But more in today's time, relationships are not as open; most relationships today involve just two people. In Shakespeare's time it was more accepted and ok to lie to the significant other. Where as today, if there were to be another person involved in the relationship, or even so much as a lie to one another, it would not be accepted, and it would cause major problems in the relationship. I also feel that women today are much more emotional and cannot handle that kind of situation. In conclusion, Shakespeare's view on love and relationships has changed drastically in today's time.
Basic Passage: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; coral is far more red than her lips’ red; Response: Shakespeare admires his lady so plainly yet so full of love. Unlike any fake lovers whose admiration is driven by lust rather than love, he is comfortable with his words and his lover is equally enchanted by his praise. The truth is, if it is a true love, then both lovers should be comfortable with the way they are. True love doesn’t need any glaze to make it bright and presentable. He is expressing his Platonic love by not pressuring her with the comparison of the sun or the moon but by being honest with his love. Modern lovers don’t realize that there is no bone of contention if it is a true love. The most important part is the acceptance of their lovers look as they are and still have that passion so vigorous; it is enough for them to last one life time. Shakespeare’s’ poem is a moral lesson in a way that teaches us to do’s and not to do’s list. His explanation has a symbolic meaning that love can be both fake and real. A real love is plain and it gives you happiness whereas a fake love is built upon lies after lies. At some point when there are no lies to tell, then that’s the end of it. We should stop being fake and think one more time. Do we belong to being in plain love and be comfortable with it or chasing one person after another in search of fake love.
"I have seen roses damasked, 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."
Correlation:
Is there such thing as a perfect ideal woman? The piece of literature that I chose to blog on is Sonnet number 130 by William Shakespeare. It is located in the British Lit book on page 1074. The sonnet is most likely from a man's point of view. What it sounds like is that he is describing his wife or girlfriend. It would seem that he would talk about how perfect she is, that there is no possibly flaw that she has. However, he is describing the negative things about her. The passage I mentioned above talks about her breath reeking. The man is basically saying his mistriss has bad breath. He also mentions she has bad hair comparing it to black wires and that her eyes are not the best either. Every man believes that he has the perfect wife or girlfriend. However, people are not perfect. Everyone has a setback in their life. This man is basically telling the truth. He is pointing out the problems that she has. In my opinion no matter how negatively a woman may look or present herself, her husband or boyfriend will always say that they are so special to them and that they are perfect in every way no matter what. Although, every man may believe they have flaws but will never admit it to them. This man in the sonnet is reacting to the fake version of love and telling it how it is. I believe that he also may be trying to say that its the setbacks that make her perfect. The fact that she is imperfect makes her perfect. That is where I got the title from. In conclusion, every man is lucky to have a good woman in his life that he cares about. No matter what the appearance, every woman is special in her own way.
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 heave, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare
I believe Sonnet 130 is Shakespeare’s simplest of all his sonnets. Its message is simple: the dark lady's beauty cannot be compared to the beauty of a goddess or to that found in nature, for she is but a mortal human being. Shakespeare describes his mistress in terms of the senses of sight, smell, sound and touch, but there is no flattery here. He is quite up front and honest in telling us that his mistress has bad breath; in fact it 'reeks', and there is no hint of perfume. Line nine gives the first compliment: 'I love to hear her speak', but Shakespeare admits in the following line that he would actually prefer music to her voice. In line eleven Shakespeare implies that the way his mistress moves could not be compared to a goddess, and he goes on to say 'My mistress when she walks treads upon the ground', creating the impression that she is heavy-footed. Shakespeare says that in spite of all the defects, he genuinely loves his mistress: 'I think my love as rare, as any she belied with false compare.' Appearances are not what matter where true love is concerned.
Title: Shakespearian Sonnet #130’s Meaning to Me Passage: 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 In this Shakespearian sonnet, Shakespeare writes about his mistress, mainly her appearance and how he still loves her with the burning intensity of a thousand suns. He writes that her lips are pale in comparison to that of red coral, her breath reeks of sleep and that her breasts are as exciting as a wet paper bag. In spite of the faults listed, and those that missed the cut, he still loves her, so it seems. Correlation: Many men today, and maybe throughout history, fantasize about the ideal relationship with a woman. Arguably, the ideal relationship for a man (mostly young men) is just to have a mistress. Though many men won’t admit to it, they would rather just have a mistress then a true girl-friend, or significant other. In my opinion, Shakespeare has found that relationship, and has written about it in his sonnet. I say this radical statement for a reason, being even though that it is Shakespeare, what type of woman strives to be a mistress? I’ll tell you what type, the type described in the sonnet above that’s who. Sure Shakespeare may love his mistress, but only as much as a man like Shakespeare can love an unsightly woman. Anyone willing to bet that Shakespeare never took this woman out to The Globe? In society today, though people don’t like to admit it, looks are extremely important when it comes to relationships. But, when it comes to just a relationship being secretive, looks are usually overlooked. There is one thing that I have learned about women from watching TV, movies, and through life experience, and that is that neither smart nor beautiful women want to be a mistress. In conclusion, I believe this sonnet is not about finding true love, but that its true meaning is about attaining a dream. Shakespeare has fulfilled his dream, but at a foul breathed price.
This sonnet spoke to me in a way I never thought possible. I've always been skeptical of poems and sonnets. I see myself as one of those people who think they are useless, but this one changed my mind. It might seem silly to find something moving out of a poem as sad as this. Recently I've come to see that ignorance is bliss. Not knowing or pretending not to know makes life easier. Shakespeare is portraying this heavily in his sonnet. He makes this life of pure ignorance out to be a painful situation. To people outside looking in on this relationship it seems so awful, yet what would you do? You can choose the road of staying in the relationship and taking the easy way or getting out. Either way there would be heartache. Anyone stuck in this situation knows there is no easy way. What if this couple had kids. I am a child of divorced parents and it was a horribly rough life for me and my mom, yet if my mom had stayed in the relationship he would have continued to cheat on her. Now does she hope for a better future without him? or does she take the easy way and stay with him? No matter what a person chooses to do life will be rough. If we could live in ignorance maybe it would be bliss, but it is virtually impossible to ignore the fact that the person you love is cheating on you.
“Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another…” Shakespear.
WHY NOT WAIT?
In this sonnet Shakespeare is saying that before we get too old we should procreate. In today’s society it is becoming more common for “babies to be having babies”. However how young is too young? In my graduating class I know that five girls had babies almost, if not in, right out of high school. I was raised in a family where my mother was pregnant at 18 while in high school. Some people shun this idea. In some religious beliefs it is common for girls to get married at age 15 or so and start having children especially in polygamist groups. I personally think you should have your feet planted before you should start a family. My best friend just had a baby four months ago. She is not in college right now and her husband works long hours to make ends meet. I think that it is okay for couples to wait to have children instead of finding out they are pregnant 2 weeks into being married. What is wrong with waiting till mid twenties before having a family? Why do so many teens and young adults in our society want to start families so young? Mothers can have a career and a life too instead of staying home and raising babies! No matter how much I would love to have a baby right now, I know that it is best to finish college, and get my feet on the ground before doing so. I don’t want to be struggling trying to make ends meet when I am only 20. I want to travel and see the world before I settle down with a family. this would be hard to do with a toddler on your hip.
Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee Calls back the lovely April of her prime
Response:
This sonnet drips with such ideas as the one above. It is more then evident that in Shakespeare’s society, reproduction and child rearing was of the utmost importance. The family was the core of the society. Women were to live for nothing but to raise children. While there has been a slight change in dynamics, the main idea is still somewhat around. It can surely be said that there has been a rise in independent, career driven women. They are the ones who are never drawn into the conventional marriage and children ideal. Mostly, however, I find that this is the exception. While the size of families has dwindled through the years, it still seems to be ideal to settle down and have a few children. If you look at ant celebrity magazine, one of the main topics are always who is having a baby. People, women especially, eat this stuff up. We can’t wait to see what the celebrity babies will be named, wearing, or when we can get a glimpse of their first released photos. Just look an Angelina Jolie. She’s one of the biggest celebrities around, and has enough kids to be a Mormon. It just shows that while times have changed, people can all to easily still relate to the ideal presented by this sonnet.
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.
Response: In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, he is expressing his love for his “mistress.” The comparisons in this sonnet are the usual nature comparisons for love poetry, but Shakespeare uses then in a negative fashion. He tells readers that she is not beautiful and is not a goddess. He lets you know that her hair is wiry, he eyes don’t shine and he cheeks and lips do not have much color. He even tells you that her breath “reeks” and that music sounds better that her voice, he loves to hear her speak. In this sonnet Shakespeare is letting everyone know that even thought his mistress is not beautiful and does not compare to a goddess he still loves her. His mistress is just an ordinary person, she’s not pretentious. She’s not exceptionally beautiful and there is nothing fake about her. In the last two lines “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare” he is saying that because she is not pretentious and is just an ordinary person, their relationship is not built on lies. In this sonnet, Shakespeare is telling us that beauty is only skin deep and that you can love someone who is not perfect and beautiful. Just because someone is unappealing on the outside and this person may have many flaws, you can still find true, undeniable love that is not built on lies. As the saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Sarah Skaggs Week 6 Response; (Sydney, Marlowe, Shakespeare sonnets)
(249 words)
Title: Did Shakespeare Believe Love to be Bounded by Gender?
Passage: William Shakespeare sonnet 20
Correlation: Shakespeare is famous for love poetry that is typically of heterosexual nature. Take for example sonnet 130 where he shuns the tradition of exaggerating a female lover’s beauty and sonnet 138 concerning a female with a “false-speaking tongue.” Still other writings press the matter of sexual love and procreation at the earliest possible convenience. From the majority of his works, one might think Shakespeare was only an advocate of passionate love between man and woman with the ideal manifestation of that love being marriage and children. Pay no mind to the little things like white-lies and waste no time with insincere compliments. Many people today, particularly conservatives, would probably think this idea of love is right on the money. Now consider the “man in…all hues” about whom sonnet 20 is written. The speaker laments that the man with “a woman’s face” was “for a woman…first created.” He is distraught that he cannot have the other physically, but still knows that he loves the other. He ultimately concedes that, physically, the other’s body is to be women’s “treasure.” Given the homophobic environment this was published in, and the strong belief that Shakespeare himself was gay, I believe this poem was meant as a statement that both emotional and sexual love could exist between same gender pairs. If it had been published in modern times, when homophobia is not as bad as it was then, I like to think the speaker would’ve pursued the other man completely and not only emotionally.
Title:Today Society and Shakespeare society
ReplyDeletePassage:
Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another, Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, Unbless some mother.
Response:
In this passage by Shakespeare, he talks about having a baby before you get too old. In those times people were looked down on if they were not married or didn't have kids. I ask the question," Is it still true today?" In the society of Mobile that I grew up in it is unusual if you are not married before the age of thirty. In the families that I grew up around and even in my own family. You go to college, meet you partner, get a job, get married, and then have kids. I dont know about the college and job part in Shakespeares time, but it seems that the ideas for marriage in his time and in my time are still accepted in these two different time periods. Being that I'm a twenty nine year old man, I get questions all the time of "why I'm not married, or why don't you have kids?" My response to them is IM NOT READY! I dont know if today we are looked down at as much as in Shakespeare time. It seems that depending where you were raised, depends on what is accepted.
Jessica Kiser
ReplyDeleteTitle: Real vs. Fake Love Then and Now
Passage: "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips..." Sonnet 130
Response:
Shakespeare was a revolutionary man in his day, when everyone was talking, writing, and praising the beauty of young women he wrote of a plain woman that meant more to him than a beautiful one because she was real. In today’s society we see similar patterns of the days of old where we idolize the beautiful people. We tend to try to change ourselves and become like the beautiful people. Society has always had an appetite for beauty but at what expense? Do we lose ourselves and our truth? Do we become fake in the ever present fight to be the best or most beautiful person in the world? What can be done to stop this reign of fake beauty? People would have to change to fix this problem. However, it is hard to change people, especially when they have not changed since the days of Shakespeare. The writings of Shakespeare could teach society a good couple of lessons. Such as beauty is not everything and it is better to love a person for whom they are instead of what they are. In our world today there are people working on changing the body image of today. Companies like Dove who features real women in their commercials; women who are not the skinniest, or the most beautiful. Shakespeare’s writings not only related to his time but also to today and if more people were to read his writings they would learn (or at least be exposed to) a different view of the world!
Infidelity
ReplyDeleteEmily Alford
Basic Passage
When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue:
On both sides this is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not is unjust?
And wherefore say not that I am old?
Oh, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told.
Therefore I lie with her and she with me
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.
- William Shakespeare
Response
This sonnet left me questioning if my husband were to cheat on me and I knew about it without him knowing I knew about it, would I stay with him and be able to keep quiet. I think it would only be for selfish reasons to stay. Loving someone so much that you would let them have their affairs and you turn the other the way is selfish to me. I would want better for myself. Although the partner may love you doesn’t mean that they respect you and having an affair is disrespectful and a slap in the face to me.
Sometimes, partners will look a blind eye to their spouse’s behavior out of hope that things will change. Sometimes they do, but you'll never know if it's a change for good. Sometimes, partners may tolerate it because they desire to cheat as well. Maybe it's "for the children" or because they are keeping up appearances for family or social reasons. There could be religious reasons, like divorce being considered taboo for certain religions, but no matter what the reason may be, honesty has been taken away and unless the two partners talk about what has happened and decide to more forward working the relationship out together, then the relationship is one big lie.
In the sonnet, the woman is a lot younger than the man and he knows she is unfaithful because he is getting old. I just wonder why she wanted to be with him in the first place? Wasn’t he older than her when they got together?
What is love?
ReplyDeleteCorrelation (Intro):
In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, Shakespeare describes his mistress as someone basically lower than a Plain-Jane type girl. This woman seems to have nothing very interesting about her: she has pale lips, boring breasts, and basically her breath is a stench. But Shakespeare obviously has a superior perception about her.
Main Passage:
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.
Correlation:
The society we live in today is unfortunately an image-obsessed world: girls do not eat in order to stay skinny, and guys have become “health nuts”. We always worry about our appearance and what others think about us. But Shakespeare shows in this sonnet the reality of TRUE love and appearance. This love is not the mushy love that you see portrayed in our media (i.e. flirting in an annoying way, saying cheesy “you’re prettier than diamonds” clichés), but he obviously is drawn to her internal self. Even though music is pleasant to his ears, Shakespeare would much rather listen to her voice that may have no melody to it. He then quickly affirms that divine comparisons are not applicable, for his adored wife is quite beautiful to him without being a goddess, or what we would call a “hot chick” in our society. If this world would only take heed to the simple messages in Shakespeare’s writings that can still apply to us today.
THE MARKETED VIEW OF LOVE-CONVENTIONS
ReplyDeleteSonnet 130 "My mistress treads on the ground."
I am in complete I am in complete agreement with the author’s rebuttal of the syrupy fake idealistic views of love that is marketed to our culture today and from the gist of this sonnet, it seems as though there has always been a fight against it. If real love was presented in movies and books, it would solve a lot of relationship problems, in our culture. People learn basically everything from SOCIETY…., and it seem our society promotes fake convention of love and marriage (too good to be true), because we are taught the unattainable idealistic views about romance people never learn about “real life”. They go into marriage believing that it is supposed to be perfect like they have seen in the movies…people have false hope, and most detrimental of all they have FALSE EXPECTATIONS of what their spouse is supposed to be and do for them. These expectations are always unattainable. When peoples dreams of what marriage and romance fall short of what “true love” is supposed to be their relationship crumbles because it was built upon a FAKE foundation. Real love is not easy, but it is the only kind that works and fulfills us, because the marketed view of love is a crumbling foundation that is ruining many peoples lives, I am thrilled that there is poetry written to combat it.
Owen Bradley
ReplyDeleteTitle: The Bond of Blood
"From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die."
Think about a time when you’ve been put in a situation where you need help from another. Who did you call? Is it the friend you met in college or the girl/guy you’ve been dating for a couple months? These people might be reliable if by some chance you were extremely lucky in meeting someone that will do anything for a person they have known but for a short while. But the odds are slim. The only people one can put complete reliance and trust into are one’s family. The family structure is the strongest bond that a group of people can have. A bond of blood is inseparable, even with major differences among family members. My sister left for college when I was thirteen. She’s held a grudge against my father since high school and she still acts a little funny around him. But the fact is if anything happened and she needed help, my parents and I would be at her side in a second and willing to do anything it takes to make the situation better.
I have butted heads with my dad as well, mainly over stupid crap I did in high school. I vowed to never spank my kids or treat them the way he did my sister and I. But the more I’ve grown, the more I understand the need for firm discipline in the life education of children. Life lessons must be passed down from generation to generation through family. Strong American family structure exists, but is often demonized by pop culture. It’s time to return to our values and keep the Family together.
Real vs Fake Love
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
Shakespeare's Sonnet #130
“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....”
Correlation:
This sonnet is written in a rather unconventional tone that shows the reader what love is like in the real world. The speaker points out the absurdities of false comparisons throughout the poem and touches on the stereotypes with a sarcastic grace. He points out that it is not realistic to talk of such things, and that the meaning of these clichés has all but diminished from being overused. In the mind of the speaker, to be truly sweet means to be original and come straight from the heart. One the other side of the spectrum, “fake” love is the material that you see in advertisements and entertainment. It is two beautiful people laying on a beach on an island resort or a man buying his gorgeous wife a huge diamond and a dozen roses. It is saying that your girlfriends eyes are that of a goddess when in all reality they are just a lovely shade of green. Society has only began to think this way because of the mediums of advertisement: music, television, radio, newspapers, department stores, and magazines to name just a few. Today it is all about spending more money and being materialistic in order to enjoy or express your love for someone instead of just doing something that actually conveys your genuine feelings. I think that it is the people that create a birthday card for a friend instead of buying one that truly know love, not the beautiful people on the beach.
To Love or Not to Love
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: “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” – William Shakespeare in Sonnet 130
Response: Shakespeare effectively describes what love is in this passage. Popular culture portrays love as the perfect lighting with the perfect couple who skip off into the perfect sunset and live a perfect life together. The reality is that love is none of those things. Love is a conscious decision that we make. We choose to love someone regardless of all of their imperfections. We decide that we are going to stick by their side regardless of how crazy they make us or how complicated life gets. People do not fall in and out of love. We simply choose whether we want to love or whether we want to call it quits. Shakespeare describes his lover as far less than perfect yet she is the world to him. He loves her in her entirety with no regard to her flaws. That is how love truly works. It is terribly easy to pick apart someone’s faults. However, it takes effort to love them in spite of their shortcomings. Shakespeare’s description of love is far more inspiring than that which the media depicts in today’s society. It can be overwhelming to think that you have to be perfect in order to find love or that if your relationship is not perfect you must not love one another. Shakespeare’s honesty is so much more refreshing because it is real and feasible. When you find that one person who chooses to love you and you choose to love them regardless of how imperfect you each may be that is when you find happiness.
Alex Newton
ReplyDeleteWhat is Love?
What is love? Is it holding hands, or showing even hugging someone in public? To me when you love someone you do not have to show it all the time. Shakespeare talks about how he loves his mistress even though she is not the prettiest lady or even has the best breath.
Basic Passage:
“My Mistress eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red then her lips’ red;” William Shakespeare
In television shows now you see that people do not date ugly people. This is dumb to me because when you “love” someone it does not matter what they look like but how they act. In A Walk to Remember Landon, the most popular guy in school falls in love with Jamie, the most non-popular girl in school. This goes to show that sometimes in television they do go on how one act and not just looks. The media plays a big role in people lives because they see all the pretty people who get married and they think “Well I will never find someone to love me like that”. Which is not true, I do think that there is someone out there for everyone no matter what you look like. I know a lot of people that just look at looks and then the relationship ends because they have no personality. That is why you have to make sure that someone can make you laugh and you can have fun with them no matter what you are doing. Instead of looking at the faults of people maybe people should look deeper and everyone would be a lot happier.
True Love
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage-
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some pérfumes 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.-
Sonnet 130 William Shakespeare
Response: In William Shakespeare’s sonnet he really explains what love is. Love is not always perfect and you don’t always get a supermodel to love. Shakespeare really explains what love is; in the raw without being gushy and making love seem to be what it is not. People who have never been in love probably look forward to perfection; they think their lover will be the opposite of all of the imperfections Shakespeare described. Shakespeare explains that love is much more than physical beauty, love is about inner beauty and being able to put up with everything your partner does and says. Love is about being able to still love someone after they share their honest opinion with you. Shakespeare is honest as he can be about love in this sonnet and his honesty is what makes his love so true and hard to break. In his last few sentences she says “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare”. He is saying that his lover is as special as any woman whom poets have lied about with false comparisons. Saying this is what makes his lover understand that she may not be perfect but he really does love her truly.
Loss of a Name
ReplyDelete“Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest
Now is the time that face should form another…”
A lot of Shakespeare’s sonnets encouraged people to be fertile and have children. He must have thought very high of this since he wrote of it so much. I feel that this is an issue that should be touched on nowadays as well as it was during Shakespeare’s time. In today’s society people are having fewer children or are waiting longer to have them. In past times couples would have kids right after marriage and would have plenty of them. In today’s society couples average only around two children. This is due to a change in society. In the past when a couple would have a child the wife, who was usually a stay at home wife, would take care of it while the father went to work. Well, due to women’s rights and more job opportunities opening for women, wives are more likely to have jobs. Also since women have better job opportunities some would rather try to pursue a higher level career than get married and have children. This leaves less time for couples to have children or for them to wait and have a family later down the road. Since this happens some family names end up dying off due to the lack off children. If more articles promoted couples to have kids like Shakespeare’s did then maybe this wouldn’t be a problem.
Theme – Three types of love Eros, Philia, and Agape.
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage – Sonnet 130
“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.”
Correlation – This passage immediately made me think of the different types of love. In the English language it is only one word with many definitions, but in Greek they have separate words to help us distinguish our feelings.
First is Eros what many people think of as romantic love. I couldn’t think of a better way to say it than www.sjchurchofchrist.org; “eros is dependent upon the situation and circumstances. As long as a couple is enjoying a romantic situation, eros can thrive. But, as soon as hurtful words or actions appear, eros simply evaporates…it can not provide a reliable basis for building a deep and meaningful relationship” although many try. This also made me think of the movie “Enchanted” where the princess has no idea what real love is. To her, love is a knight in shining armor that can sing a duet in harmony with her, while birds chirp along and chipmunks dance. Eros is that silly feeling you get that makes you do strange things. The next type of love is Philia, where the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, gets it’s name. Although this is the love between friends, it is still very much dependent of situations, expectations, and time. We all have friends we have let slip away. Thr third type of love, Agape, is the type of love most often used in the biblical sense of Christ and how we should love one another. Agape is much stronger than the first two types, it requires commitment. One must “proactively seek someone's well-being”…”agape is capable of acting in a hostile environment where there are no warm fuzzy feelings.”…”When a spouse chooses to speak and act toward the mate with agape, this creates the loving environment in which eros and philia can thrive!” This kind of love in unconditional, or should I say true love.
What is True Love..? Love in Shakespeare and Love today...
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
"Look in thy glass and tell the face tou viewest
Now is the time that face should form another,
Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,
Thou dost beguile the world, un bless some mother. For where is she so fair whose uneared womb Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?"
After reading many Shakesoeare sonnets in class, we have found they all seem to do with love and relationships in many different ways. After having read these sonnets, i think that love was viewed in a much different way then we view love today.I also think that men and women preceived their significant others in much different ways as well. For example, in Sonnet 1, Shakspeare views a women of being so beautifuland pure, and in order for her to stey this way he deny her of child. This is much different than how I think men view women today, I do not think they think like this. Most of the time if a person has interest for a significant other they arent so caring... they will go for what they want.
Shakespeare also describes, in his sonnet, that if this beautiful pure women is her mother's own child, as is every other child of mother. In this sonnet he is saying that if one ever wants to see theirself at a young age again, then look at their child; No matter your age or even the wrinkles on your face having a child will be like looking back in time. Although this is how Sakespeare views children...I do not necessarily believe that this is how we view our lives and chilren's lives as well. I feel that in todays time children are a precious new life which we dont think of as our own; or to look back on our past, I think its a time to teach your own child what u have learned while growing into the adult you are. For we want what is best for our children today, some may not want to look at their children only to see their past.
One final message Shakespeare sends in his sonnets is in 130, he states that the woman he is in love with is not a beautiful face that most people would obesse over when one is in love. But Shakespeare loves her anyway. This relates to love today because I think that this is not so much true today, we stereo type significant others, to the t. In relationshipstoday people decide what they want and look for specific qualities, looks, and traits. To where as Shakespeare's love is real...its not fake or marketed; unlike the way we most likely fall in love with perfection!! In conclusion, I feel that love and relationships differ greatly form the times of Shakespeare til today!!
Shakespeare’s Version of Love as Compared to Today
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
“Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” Sonnet 116
In Shakespeare’s poetry it is clear that love was a thing that everyone in his era had and once it happened the person’s whole life and everything they did was dedicated to this one person, their one love. In today’s era that rarely, if ever, happens. With today’s society having divorce rates up to fifty percent within the first few years of marriage it is clear that love and devotion is not the main thing on people’s minds today. However, in Shakespeare’s poems he speaks of eternal love and devotion. People now have a problem with devotion we have grown accustomed to “Hallmarks” version of love and now every miniscule problem that appears in a relationship people believe that it’s not what it should be and break up. Today monogamy is mostly a thing of the past. People see a flaw in their “lover” and look for another person to fill that void instead of making it work with the current spouse. In Shakespeare’s sonnet “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” he speaks of a woman with deep love comparing her to the earth around him. Though men today would never dare write such words in fear of being thought of as less manly which is why Shakespeare is no longer of any use today.
Basic Passage: Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
ReplyDeleteAlthough she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tounge:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
Response: Shakespeare is focusing on accepting some lies as truth because he knows if he demands the truth she will end the relationship and that is not what he wants. He is also saying that he knows she is with another man at times, because he knows that he is too old for her. Their entire relationship is based on lies and they both realize it. As they realize that they lie to eachother, they have both come to accept it. I feel that in some relationships today, it is the same way. But more in today's time, relationships are not as open; most relationships today involve just two people. In Shakespeare's time it was more accepted and ok to lie to the significant other. Where as today, if there were to be another person involved in the relationship, or even so much as a lie to one another, it would not be accepted, and it would cause major problems in the relationship. I also feel that women today are much more emotional and cannot handle that kind of situation. In conclusion, Shakespeare's view on love and relationships has changed drastically in today's time.
Title: Acceptance
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
Response: Shakespeare admires his lady so plainly yet so full of love. Unlike any fake lovers whose admiration is driven by lust rather than love, he is comfortable with his words and his lover is equally enchanted by his praise. The truth is, if it is a true love, then both lovers should be comfortable with the way they are. True love doesn’t need any glaze to make it bright and presentable. He is expressing his Platonic love by not pressuring her with the comparison of the sun or the moon but by being honest with his love.
Modern lovers don’t realize that there is no bone of contention if it is a true love. The most important part is the acceptance of their lovers look as they are and still have that passion so vigorous; it is enough for them to last one life time. Shakespeare’s’ poem is a moral lesson in a way that teaches us to do’s and not to do’s list. His explanation has a symbolic meaning that love can be both fake and real. A real love is plain and it gives you happiness whereas a fake love is built upon lies after lies. At some point when there are no lies to tell, then that’s the end of it. We should stop being fake and think one more time. Do we belong to being in plain love and be comfortable with it or chasing one person after another in search of fake love.
The Perfect Woman
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
"I have seen roses damasked, 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."
Correlation:
Is there such thing as a perfect ideal woman? The piece of literature that I chose to blog on is Sonnet number 130 by William Shakespeare. It is located in the British Lit book on page 1074. The sonnet is most likely from a man's point of view. What it sounds like is that he is describing his wife or girlfriend. It would seem that he would talk about how perfect she is, that there is no possibly flaw that she has. However, he is describing the negative things about her. The passage I mentioned above talks about her breath reeking. The man is basically saying his mistriss has bad breath. He also mentions she has bad hair comparing it to black wires and that her eyes are not the best either. Every man believes that he has the perfect wife or girlfriend. However, people are not perfect. Everyone has a setback in their life. This man is basically telling the truth. He is pointing out the problems that she has. In my opinion no matter how negatively a woman may look or present herself, her husband or boyfriend will always say that they are so special to them and that they are perfect in every way no matter what. Although, every man may believe they have flaws but will never admit it to them. This man in the sonnet is reacting to the fake version of love and telling it how it is. I believe that he also may be trying to say that its the setbacks that make her perfect. The fact that she is imperfect makes her perfect. That is where I got the title from. In conclusion, every man is lucky to have a good woman in his life that he cares about. No matter what the appearance, every woman is special in her own way.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLove is Blind
ReplyDeleteShakespeare
Sonnet 130
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 heave, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare
I believe Sonnet 130 is Shakespeare’s simplest of all his sonnets. Its message is simple: the dark lady's beauty cannot be compared to the beauty of a goddess or to that found in nature, for she is but a mortal human being.
Shakespeare describes his mistress in terms of the senses of sight, smell, sound and touch, but there is no flattery here. He is quite up front and honest in telling us that his mistress has bad breath; in fact it 'reeks', and there is no hint of perfume. Line nine gives the first compliment: 'I love to hear her speak', but Shakespeare admits in the following line that he would actually prefer music to her voice. In line eleven Shakespeare implies that the way his mistress moves could not be compared to a goddess, and he goes on to say 'My mistress when she walks treads upon the ground', creating the impression that she is heavy-footed.
Shakespeare says that in spite of all the defects, he genuinely loves his mistress: 'I think my love as rare, as any she belied with false compare.' Appearances are not what matter where true love is concerned.
Title: Shakespearian Sonnet #130’s Meaning to Me
ReplyDeletePassage:
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
In this Shakespearian sonnet, Shakespeare writes about his mistress, mainly her appearance and how he still loves her with the burning intensity of a thousand suns. He writes that her lips are pale in comparison to that of red coral, her breath reeks of sleep and that her breasts are as exciting as a wet paper bag. In spite of the faults listed, and those that missed the cut, he still loves her, so it seems.
Correlation: Many men today, and maybe throughout history, fantasize about the ideal relationship with a woman. Arguably, the ideal relationship for a man (mostly young men) is just to have a mistress. Though many men won’t admit to it, they would rather just have a mistress then a true girl-friend, or significant other. In my opinion, Shakespeare has found that relationship, and has written about it in his sonnet. I say this radical statement for a reason, being even though that it is Shakespeare, what type of woman strives to be a mistress? I’ll tell you what type, the type described in the sonnet above that’s who. Sure Shakespeare may love his mistress, but only as much as a man like Shakespeare can love an unsightly woman. Anyone willing to bet that Shakespeare never took this woman out to The Globe? In society today, though people don’t like to admit it, looks are extremely important when it comes to relationships. But, when it comes to just a relationship being secretive, looks are usually overlooked. There is one thing that I have learned about women from watching TV, movies, and through life experience, and that is that neither smart nor beautiful women want to be a mistress. In conclusion, I believe this sonnet is not about finding true love, but that its true meaning is about attaining a dream. Shakespeare has fulfilled his dream, but at a foul breathed price.
Ignorance is Bliss?
ReplyDeleteBasic Passage:
Shakespeare: Sonnet 138
p.1075
This sonnet spoke to me in a way I never thought possible. I've always been skeptical of poems and sonnets. I see myself as one of those people who think they are useless, but this one changed my mind. It might seem silly to find something moving out of a poem as sad as this. Recently I've come to see that ignorance is bliss. Not knowing or pretending not to know makes life easier. Shakespeare is portraying this heavily in his sonnet. He makes this life of pure ignorance out to be a painful situation. To people outside looking in on this relationship it seems so awful, yet what would you do? You can choose the road of staying in the relationship and taking the easy way or getting out. Either way there would be heartache. Anyone stuck in this situation knows there is no easy way. What if this couple had kids. I am a child of divorced parents and it was a horribly rough life for me and my mom, yet if my mom had stayed in the relationship he would have continued to cheat on her. Now does she hope for a better future without him? or does she take the easy way and stay with him? No matter what a person chooses to do life will be rough. If we could live in ignorance maybe it would be bliss, but it is virtually impossible to ignore the fact that the person you love is cheating on you.
“Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another…” Shakespear.
ReplyDeleteWHY NOT WAIT?
In this sonnet Shakespeare is saying that before we get too old we should procreate. In today’s society it is becoming more common for “babies to be having babies”. However how young is too young? In my graduating class I know that five girls had babies almost, if not in, right out of high school. I was raised in a family where my mother was pregnant at 18 while in high school. Some people shun this idea. In some religious beliefs it is common for girls to get married at age 15 or so and start having children especially in polygamist groups. I personally think you should have your feet planted before you should start a family. My best friend just had a baby four months ago. She is not in college right now and her husband works long hours to make ends meet. I think that it is okay for couples to wait to have children instead of finding out they are pregnant 2 weeks into being married. What is wrong with waiting till mid twenties before having a family? Why do so many teens and young adults in our society want to start families so young? Mothers can have a career and a life too instead of staying home and raising babies! No matter how much I would love to have a baby right now, I know that it is best to finish college, and get my feet on the ground before doing so. I don’t want to be struggling trying to make ends meet when I am only 20. I want to travel and see the world before I settle down with a family. this would be hard to do with a toddler on your hip.
Basic Passage: Sonnet 3
ReplyDeleteThou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime
Response:
This sonnet drips with such ideas as the one above. It is more then evident that in Shakespeare’s society, reproduction and child rearing was of the utmost importance. The family was the core of the society. Women were to live for nothing but to raise children. While there has been a slight change in dynamics, the main idea is still somewhat around. It can surely be said that there has been a rise in independent, career driven women. They are the ones who are never drawn into the conventional marriage and children ideal. Mostly, however, I find that this is the exception. While the size of families has dwindled through the years, it still seems to be ideal to settle down and have a few children. If you look at ant celebrity magazine, one of the main topics are always who is having a baby. People, women especially, eat this stuff up. We can’t wait to see what the celebrity babies will be named, wearing, or when we can get a glimpse of their first released photos. Just look an Angelina Jolie. She’s one of the biggest celebrities around, and has enough kids to be a Mormon. It just shows that while times have changed, people can all to easily still relate to the ideal presented by this sonnet.
Connie Land
ReplyDeleteInner Beauty
Passage:
William Shakespeare – Sonnet 130
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.
Response:
In William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, he is expressing his love for his “mistress.” The comparisons in this sonnet are the usual nature comparisons for love poetry, but Shakespeare uses then in a negative fashion. He tells readers that she is not beautiful and is not a goddess. He lets you know that her hair is wiry, he eyes don’t shine and he cheeks and lips do not have much color. He even tells you that her breath “reeks” and that music sounds better that her voice, he loves to hear her speak. In this sonnet Shakespeare is letting everyone know that even thought his mistress is not beautiful and does not compare to a goddess he still loves her. His mistress is just an ordinary person, she’s not pretentious. She’s not exceptionally beautiful and there is nothing fake about her. In the last two lines “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare” he is saying that because she is not pretentious and is just an ordinary person, their relationship is not built on lies.
In this sonnet, Shakespeare is telling us that beauty is only skin deep and that you can love someone who is not perfect and beautiful. Just because someone is unappealing on the outside and this person may have many flaws, you can still find true, undeniable love that is not built on lies. As the saying goes “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Sarah Skaggs
ReplyDeleteWeek 6 Response; (Sydney, Marlowe, Shakespeare sonnets)
(249 words)
Title: Did Shakespeare Believe Love to be Bounded by Gender?
Passage: William Shakespeare sonnet 20
Correlation:
Shakespeare is famous for love poetry that is typically of heterosexual nature. Take for example sonnet 130 where he shuns the tradition of exaggerating a female lover’s beauty and sonnet 138 concerning a female with a “false-speaking tongue.” Still other writings press the matter of sexual love and procreation at the earliest possible convenience.
From the majority of his works, one might think Shakespeare was only an advocate of passionate love between man and woman with the ideal manifestation of that love being marriage and children. Pay no mind to the little things like white-lies and waste no time with insincere compliments. Many people today, particularly conservatives, would probably think this idea of love is right on the money.
Now consider the “man in…all hues” about whom sonnet 20 is written. The speaker laments that the man with “a woman’s face” was “for a woman…first created.” He is distraught that he cannot have the other physically, but still knows that he loves the other. He ultimately concedes that, physically, the other’s body is to be women’s “treasure.”
Given the homophobic environment this was published in, and the strong belief that Shakespeare himself was gay, I believe this poem was meant as a statement that both emotional and sexual love could exist between same gender pairs. If it had been published in modern times, when homophobia is not as bad as it was then, I like to think the speaker would’ve pursued the other man completely and not only emotionally.