Sonnet 130

Qué significa, línea por línea

Líneas 1 a 4: The speaker describes his beloved by refusing grand comparisons. Her eyes are not sunlike, coral is redder than her lips, and her skin is darker than snow. Comparing her black hair to wires gives the description a blunt, physical quality rather than making her seem impossibly beautiful.

Líneas 5 a 8: The speaker moves from sight to smell. He sees no mixture of red and white roses in her cheeks, and he finds some perfumes more pleasant than her breath. These details continue his refusal to turn an ordinary human body into a collection of perfect natural beauties.

Líneas 9 a 12: The speaker now directly says that he loves hearing her speak, even though music sounds better. He also admits he has never seen a goddess walk. His beloved walks on the earth, a plain fact that keeps her human rather than presenting her as a divine figure.

Líneas 13 a 14: The ending shifts from listing what the beloved lacks to declaring her value. The speaker considers his love as precious as any woman misrepresented by exaggerated praise. This closing claim makes the earlier bluntness part of an argument for affection grounded in truth rather than flattering invention.

Tres preguntas para reflexionar

1. How does the final declaration of love change your understanding of the earlier descriptions?
2. What effects do the comparisons with coral, wires, roses, and perfume create?
3. How does the speaker distinguish loving someone’s voice from judging its sound?