Sonnet 130
W. Shakespeare Lyrics

Violet Lee

It is a wonderful project, thank you very much for the kind thought of making this marvellous idea into reality to help us in learning English. I am currently studying Shakespare Sonnet 17 and 18 and the comparison but I cant find it here. May I know if you have it anywhere in your website/video list please?

The Nature of Writing

Thanks, Violet. So far I've covered sonnets 55, 115, 116, and 130. I'll think about doing Sonnet 18 at some point!

Jacqueline Maisela

Thank you, this has been really helpful...
Mostly when it comes to the analysis and the explanation of whats really happening is this sonnet(more detailed than what they explained in class)

The Nature of Writing

Glad it was helpful!

this was EXTREMELY helpful! thank you!!

Random Melody

It was a great help. Thank you so much for sharing.

Priyankarani Negi

Thank you sir.your explanation is so good and comprehensible as you put the meanings clearly.It's so useful to me.🙏

The Nature of Writing

You're most welcome!

Donald Kim Llavore

Great explanation 👏

Alex Mardi

Thank you sir, you are so unique in teaching..loved it learning.

The Nature of Writing

Thanks, Alex!

MegaName13

Thanks alot! That made it way easier to study for my Literature Exam :)

Prashant Joshi

Beautifully dissected ! ‘Anti_blazon” explained so well.

The Nature of Writing

Thanks!

irm63

Thank you. Ich liebe dieses Sonett.

Claudette Langecker

I wonder how can I rewrite all this analysis to make my teacher think I figured all of this on my own for this summary I have to do? haha. Thanks for the clarification.

The Nature of Writing

If you want to cite the video as a source, feel free to check out our citation guide: https://natureofwriting.com/citation/. :)

hiba maryam

One hell of an insight! Thank you so much <3

greeny green

amazing video , thank you . :) pls keep making videos like that .

Devin Sparkman

I remember when I was in high school after gym there was a group of guys talking about their girlfriends in the locker room. We all laughed and joked about them being akin to witches. But one nutcase had to take it even farther- by being the main passage. His girlfriend had to be the most beautiful, the most smart, and the most boastful. He made the conversation shallow and boring. Does he have complete control over a stuimulating conversation? No. This is why it's important to recite poetry- so you have enough time to have fun with it later on.

Jonathan

Great analysis, thank you !

The Nature of Writing

Thanks, Jonathan!

Elene Ele

Great analysis, thank you!

Nocturne Girl

Another observation that I made is that 'compare' in the last line refers not only to comparisons. But it might also refer to 'compeer', a way that Shakespeare addresses his contemporaries? And kinda claims that they have misrepresented women in their poems? 'Compare'- 'Compeer' being used as a pun, maybe.
Just a wild interpretation.

Thank you so much for this video! You've made a fantastic analysis!

Maimuna Dadi Patel

ahhh this was so good !! thanks you really helped me :)

The Nature of Writing

Fantastic!

Ευανθία Ζαρκάδα

As a student [English Literature at a Greek University] I had to be examined on sonnet 130. I believed then that it was a case of true love [without blindfolds]....Well it was years and years ago...and... nowadays I find your explanation more realistic.

The Nature of Writing

Thanks for sharing. It's interesting how our perspectives can change. Maybe we become a little more jaded with age too. :)

Razeenah Cassim

Serious note tho, I need those answers, Im literally writing an exam on this in 5 days!!! I love the way you speak but damn now I don't know what to think about Shakespeare anymore 🤣

Eline Katherina

ikr! he just ruined my vision lol

charizard makesmehard

Same here I wright in 2 days and came for a quick recap but left with more questions😆

pemarathana thero

Thank you so much for your clear and critical explanation.

The Nature of Writing

You're welcome!

Guillermo López Andrés

Great video, nice done :)

The Nature of Writing

Thanks!

Giz_The_Wiz

I give this poem a 6/10. If you translate it to modern English, It's ok. The old English makes it sound more beautiful than it really is.

THE PERFECT KERALEEYAN VLOGS

Tq sir... Well explained it 🥰 love from India ❤

The Nature of Writing

Most welcome!

Uchiha Arya

I loved your explanation

Eddie Cooke

This was a great help thanks

The Nature of Writing

No problem!

Elouardi Samia

Thank you so much sir!

Zainab Amani

You are so interesting man .. thank u for the video

chandrakant patil

Nice analysis of the poem.

The Nature of Writing

Thanks!

Allen Lyle

Great video!

The Nature of Writing

Thanks!

nozecone

Interesting discussion - although the digression into 'misogyny' just strikes me as ... silly. Even if we play along with the idea that the content concerns a real, rather than imaginary, woman - does anyone believe that? - the speaker declares his admiration of her despite her failure to come near any of the conventional standards of feminine beauty - saying, in essence, that none of those external criteria mean anything; it's the 'inner beauty' that matters. That's a strange kind of misogyny.

nozecone

@The Nature of Writing Okay, I take your point(s) ... and I'll take back the "silly" ... ! However, a few points in response .... Firstly, the poem requires the speaker to be unflinchingly blunt in his assessment of his 'mistress''s physical attributes; where you see "a kind of pleasure in all the insults leveled at the woman", I see a kind of pleasure in the shock he's giving the reader by so thoroughly defying their expectations of a 'love poem', and by so brazenly subverting the blazon. There is nothing in the description itself that strikes me as “not entirely honest”, or “overboard”, as applied to a woman who is “unattractive” according to the conventional criteria of the time (although I might give you the verb “reeks”, assuming it was as powerful a word in S.’s day as now). And while he is undoubtedly objectifying her here, you have to remember where all this is going: he is setting us up for a knock-out punch which leaves objectification itself on the canvas. While it may be fair to say that “the poet uses the woman primarily to make fun of the genre of the blazon”, what makes this sonnet outstanding is that in the concluding couplet, S. conveys – or creates the illusion of – real passion for this (imagined?) woman. YMMV, of course, but whenever I reach the end of this sonnet, I feel that this guy really thought his ‘mistress’ was something pretty special. I wonder if he isn’t using his own satire of the blazon primarily to make a real love poem? Well, I could go on … and on …! Stay warm, now.

The Nature of Writing

Good feedback. The misogyny can be understood in different ways. For one thing, there is a kind of pleasure in all the insults leveled at the woman. He's not being entirely honest in his physical descriptions. He goes overboard and thoroughly enjoys downplaying her physical attributes. Secondly, the poet uses the woman primarily to make fun of the genre of the blazon. The woman is secondary. Thirdly, he doesn't address her directly but is talking to other men instead. There are other reasons as well, but I hope that helps. This is not to say that the poem is for sure misogynistic, but rather that it's an angle we shouldn't ignore.

Edwin Francisco

Now how am I supposed to write a 4 page essay about this tiny little sonnet. : /

The Nature of Writing

Fascinating point. A lyrical poem is both a public document (I like the phrase "public park!) and an intensely personal expression.

Kevin Dharmani

That's like eminem saying "i am just kidding ladies, you know I love you "

The Nature of Writing

Thanks for the laugh!

Guilherme Lago

It's fantastic to learn that 500yrs ago Shakespeare already criticised the idealisation and objectification of the feminine.

The Nature of Writing

True. Still, he mostly criticized the hyperbole of other poets, so I don't think he was giving up on objectifying them himself.

Mawdud Jabar مەودود

amazing

Dinkelberg

Who dislikes this?

Tina Liu

uhhh yeah no

Arsha Parvathy

Awesome

The Nature of Writing

Thanks!

hemalata bhat

Thank you

The Nature of Writing

You're welcome!

Iram Raza Malik

Thank you

The Nature of Writing

You're welcome!

Sam

can anyone help me with the explanation of sonnet 131

icon.army.2003

Boi. Will. I don't need you to tell me whether I'm beautiful or not. I'm A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN

Ava Giri

Oooohhh great 👍👍

Ghadi MATTA

Wow beautiful

Hadi MATTA

Wle

Howard Khowara

Tysm i thought i was gunna fail

wraith

I love you laugh,no joke

The Nature of Writing

:)

emily dubon

Woahhhhh who are you, you're amazing <3

sloovic

so what is the theme?

Tawosib Khan

Make a video about the poem A good morrow

The Nature of Writing

Thanks for the suggestion! So many poems, so little time. :)

Алёна Гармаш

Sparkling...russian women are on(by,at - we don't know exactly) Shakespeare's side

Алёна Гармаш

Have you got the main letter of the Sonet 65, please?

tharma adaik

BITE ME ALIEN BOIII!!!