Shakespeare's Sonnet 130: Anti-Pertrarchian?
The Renaissance rose from the Middle Ages in the Sixteenth Century. It was a golden age of music, philosophy, architecture, art, and perhaps most importantly, literature. Many topics were written about and reflected on. Among these topics were romance and chivalry. Italian poet and scholar Petrach testifies to the popular use of courtship and love in his sonnets. In fact, these types of sonnets have been named Petrarchian. They tend to have a narrative tone and revolve around the theme of courtly love. Petrach's "She Used To Let Her Golden Hair Fly Free" is a perfect example of this concept. It uses metaphor, and compares the woman in question to objects of perfection. William Shakespeare was another renowned poet and playwright of Elizabethan times. He wrote Sonnet 130, which has been recognized as "Anti-Petrarchian" on numerous occasions. In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare uses displeasing descri
ption of his mistress in order to contradict the Renaissance's concept of the ideal woman, which is commonly used in Petrarchian sonnets, and testifies that physical attraction does not necessarily have to be present in order for there to be love. In fact, Shakespeare creates a satirical or even mocking tone against the traditional love sonnet. He uses many references to objects of perfection, such as roses or perfumes. However, they are used to illustrate that his lover is not beautiful, which counters Petrach's use of such reference. Shakespeare also decides to use allusion of Venus' beauty and fairness to reaffirm his lover's plain outward appearance. Despite the obvious satirical tone, Shakespeare proclaims his undying love for his mistress, embracing the same theme in Petrach's sonnets-total and consuming love. Comparison of the women discussed to objects that symbolize flawlessness
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Approximate Word count = 602
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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