Aaand here's a sonnet for you to read

Im pleased to introduce you to Shakespeare's Sonnet 130. Shakespeare is mainly famous for having written plays which have been represented non-stop since the moment they were written... and that's quite a long time ago! 

Shakespeare's sonnets are also greatly appreciated, so have a taste of them by having a look at the one below. Be sure that you will read something very different to what you are used to!

Read through it carefully, once, twice, as many times as you need to get a general understanding of what he's expressing. 

It is a love poem, but... can you tell why is it different to the love poems we normally read? What makes it different? Would you be able to rephrase it in your own words? I would be impressed if anyone tried to explain it in their own words! 

We will talk about it more in depth on Friday- also about Shakespeare and his times. Any comments before Friday about this are welcome below.

1      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.
5      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
10    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.

line 1 my mistress: my loved one

l.3 dun: grey/brown colour.

l.5 damasked: a pattern of both colours (red and white). 

l.8 reeks: smells strongly and unpleasantly.

l.10 hath: has

l.12 treads: steps heavily

l.14 belied: to show to be false