Many men in the late 16th and 17th centuries developed a sonnet that praised the women they loved, most of whom embellished their physical qualities. On the other hand, Shakespeare did just the opposite, in his 130th sonnet he states that his mistress lacks most of the qualities that other men wrongly admire that their wives acquire, rosy cheeks, lips as red as coral, etc. Shakespeare uses criticism to explain how rare his love is towards her and he demonstrates a subtle distance towards relationships belied by false comparisons. He tells the reader that true love does not persist over imperfections but feels devotion regardless of flaws; he sends this message through his works. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Like most of Shakespeare's works, his 130th sonnet has significance on many stages. First, he pontificates about love versus lust. Any man with these desires will focus on pleasant features like rosy cheeks, red lips and fragrant breath. However, Shakespeare does not use a method that praises his mistress. In fact, Shakespeare criticizes his mistress, writing that she possesses none of the qualities for which men admire their wives; he states that she does not have rosy cheeks, her lips not as red as coral, and her breath less pleasant as perfumes. Because of his recognition of his bodily flaws, he uses true love to contrast desire. Shakespeare also subtly criticizes the common practice of overemphasizing female beauty in sonnets. To convey his many meanings, Shakespeare uses different literary devices. Shakespeare consumes rhyme schemes and rhymes to stylize the sonnet in a more aesthetic way. The stability of the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme and rhythm highlights Shakespeare's tireless feelings towards his lover. The 14-line sonnet consists of three quatrains and a final couplet, which emphasizes certain words and helps the reader better understand the theme since the stressed words relate to the theme; appearance does not affect love. Shakespeare uses conceit to describe what his mistress is not. In the first line of the first quatrain, "My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun", he applies a simile and metaphor in the second line "If hair be threads, black threads grow on her head". These figures of speech are used to emphasize how his mistress is not like the clichéd sonnets about the expected aspects of beauty that women should possess. Essentially, each line of the sonnet describes his wife through similes, excluding the couplet. The use of conceit allows the reader to clearly imagine what his mistress is not like. Shakespeare also uses literary devices to aid readers' conception. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In retrospect, Shakespeare's 130th sonnet is the most notable because it demonstrates how love should be. Although the sonnetary appears to condemn his mistress for her inadequacy, he is actually expressing the concept that true love distinguishes flaws and admires in spite of them. In 14 lines, this poem conveys three diverse implications at unique depths. Very noticeably, the sonnet comments on love versus lust. All the..