Shakespeare's Sonnet 130

In today’s society it is very unfortunate that the appearance of women is so significant. Relationships strictly based on looks will most likely always exist, however, the hope that one is loved for who they are inside remains within most of us. Every individual finds being praised exceptionally flattering, whether it is for his or her appearance or for his or her personality. With a comical touch the poet ridicules the tradition of comparing one’s beloved to all things beautiful under the sun, and to things divine and immortal as well. In Sonnet 130, William Shakespeare proves that love is far more precious than beauty. Although he does at no point praise his lover’s appearance, he preserves her dignity and emphasizes the importance of a woman’s personality, rather than physical appearance.
This sonnet plays an elaborate joke on the values of love, which are common amongst most other poems, and that are still funny to society today. Shakespeare uses metaphors throughout...