Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

William Shakespeare

Sonnet 130

One of history's most backhanded love poems

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​Sonnet 130

Multiple Choice

Why does this love poem not seem so loving at first?

• Every line insults his love

• The poem is about another woman

• The poem is full of anger

• The poem is about Shakespeare looking in a mirror

Match

Match the poem's insulting line to his love's appearance

• "Coral is far more red than her lips red"

• "If hair be wires"

• "Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks"

• "That music hath a more pleasing sound"

• "But no such roses I see in her cheeks"

She has a pale, dull mouth

Her hair is spiky and coarse

Her breath smells

Her voice is annoying

She has pale skin, no flush or glow

• She has a pale, dull mouth

• Her hair is spiky and coarse

• Her breath smells

• Her voice is annoying

• She has pale skin, no flush or glow

Match

Match the poem's rhyme scheme to its proper lines. Remember, rhyme scheme is in alphabetical order.

• sun, red, dun, head

• white, cheeks, delight, reeks

• know, sound, go, ground

• rare, compare

ABAB

CDCD

EFEF

GG

• ABAB

• CDCD

• EFEF

• GG

Multiple Choice

How does line 2 contribute to our image of the speaker's mistress?

• Her lips are dull

• Her lips are pink

• Her lips are big

• Her lips are small

Multiple Choice

How do lines 1-12 contribute to our image of the speaker's mistress?

• His mistress is beautiful

• His mistress is not the traditional idea of beautiful

• His mistress is rude

• His mistress does not care about her appearance

Multiple Choice

The line - My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun - is an example of what?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Alliteration

• Assonance

Multiple Choice

The line - But no such roses I see in her cheeks - is an example of what?

• Visual Imagery

• Tactile Imagery

• Auditory Imagery

• Olfactory Imagery

Multiple Choice

The line - Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks - is an example of what?

• Personification

• Imagery

• Metaphor

• Simile

Match

Match each section of the poem to its purpose

• Comments upon and mildly insults his love's appearance

• Continues to comment upon her plain appearance

• Acknowledges that she may not be the "typical beauty"

• Boldly states he loves her truly despite her flaws

1st Quatrain

2nd Quatrain

3rd Quatrain

Ending Couplet

• 1st Quatrain

• 2nd Quatrain

• 3rd Quatrain

• Ending Couplet

Multiple Choice

The author includes the final two lines of the poem to show that -

• He still loves his mistress despite her appearance

• He thinks his mistress is ugly

• He will only love his mistress a little

• His mistress can be compared to many other women

Multiple Choice

Which piece of evidence best supports the main theme (beauty is not required for love) of the passage?

• And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare.

• I love to hear her speak, yet well I know.

• And in some perfumes is there more delight.

• Coral is far more red than her lips’ red.

Multiple Choice

What is a theme of the poem?

• Beauty is not required for love

• Beauty is rare

• Love is beautiful

• Love is hard

Multiple Choice

What is a moral (lesson) of the poem?

• It is okay to criticize one's loved ones

• One should not judge someone solely by their appearance

• Only the beautiful are worthy of love

• Ugly people deserve love more than beautiful people