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 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.
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.
1609
Regular
English Renaissance
2023
Love & Relationships
Alliteration
the repetition of the same letter or sound at the beginning of words appearing in succession
Allusion
an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Irony
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect
Metaphor
a comparison between two unrelated things through a shared characteristic
Simile
a comparison between two unlike things using the words “like” or “as”