A Stylistic Analysis of William Shakespeare’s “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like

the sun”
Jeremiah Z. Reston
Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in English
University of Southeastern Philippines
Introduction
“The goal of most stylistics is not only to describe the formal features of the texts for
their own sake, but in order to show their functional significance for the interpretation of the
text; or to relate literary effects to linguistics ‘causes’ where there are felt to be relevant”.
(Person, 2001). If you are new to stylistics it's often difficult to comprehend where to start when
attempting a stylistic analysis. Analyzing a text stylistically is in contrast to doing a 'literary'
analysis as it needs to be a great deal; more objective and rooted in the researcher’s
understanding of linguistics. With stylistics we intend to provide an explanation for how the
words of a text create the emotions and responses that we get when we read them thus
conducting a Stylistic Analysis is essential.
This paper shall do a stylistic analysis of a sonnet by William Shakespeare
Initial Reading. The poem talks about the appearance of the speaker’s mistress. It
appears to that the speaker is insulting her mistress in a harsh way, comparing the looks of his
mistress unlikely to what is found in nature (L1-3,L5-6). The speaker is frank towards the
description he gives towards the readers. The speaker also describes his mistress as a mere
mortal (L11-10). The use of words in the sonnet is simple with a simple rhyme scheme and
meter. As the poem progresses it is found that despite being frank and being honest of the
appearance of his mistress the speaker’s end lines profess of love that even if she is different
and she is just a mere mortal the speaker truly loves her (L13-14).
Results and Discussion
Phonetic Features. The poem is a sonnet a 14 line lyrical poem written in Iambic
Pentameter. However the second line does not follow the iambic foot but a trochee foot. The
poem has a rhyme scheme of A-BA-B , C-D-C-D , E-F-E-F , G-G. The tone of the poem is
straight forward there seems no life to it as if you are just reading it without evoking much
emotion. The repetition of consonants in the poetry usually found on the first words of each
line (L1,8,12). The repetition of consonants does not only appear on the first words of each
line it appears to be in the middle of the lines (L3-6,9,11). It is observed that there is also
repetition of vowel sounds such /I/ and /ɛ/ in words “is-lips” and “her-red” (L2). The sound
affects the tone and mood of the poem which makes it anti-climactic.
Grammatical Features. The grammatical feature of this sonnet is different and unique
which the speaker intends to do. Shakespeare does not follow the usual way of writing this
poem, this is a deviant act to the famed Italian sonneteer Petrarch which imbues his poetry of
beauty and love. The imagery of this sonnet is filled with indirect similes to portray the physical
appearance of his mistress, example found below:
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun. (1)
Coral is far more red than her lips red (2)
‘If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun’ (3)
‘I have seen roses damask’d, red and white, but no such roses see I in her cheeks’ (5)
‘And in some perfumes is there more delight than in the breath that from my mistress reeks’
(6)
‘I love to hear her speak, yet well I know that music hath a far more pleasing sound’ (7)
The simile laid by Shakespeare is comedic in a sense that he lays an evident
phenomenon then tops it with a conviction of fact of his mistress’ breasts (L3). This continues
from the beginning till the sonnet’s end.
The adjectives of the poem are simple yet they become more complex as they are
constructed with each line. The verbs present inside the poem are also simple yet they become
more intense as it is paired with adverbs throughout the poem, it appears that Shakespeare
does not want to let the readers imagine a pretty face of a mistress but rather than the negative
and vile descriptions towards his mistress.
Semantic Features. Each stanza implies that the speaker’s mistress are found in nature
but in an opposite way, such as the bright sun nothing like the eyes of his mistress. From the
beginning of the sonnet down to the mid end part (L1-10) the negative comparison does not
end. The speaker then comes to a turn-around when the remaining lines are read, it implies
that even though his mistress’ beauty not found in nature nor can be compared as a goddess
the speaker’s love for his mistress’ is rare.
The poem reveals its true intention by the end line. The speaker’s intent is to profess
his love for his mistress. The writing of the sonnet is different from other sonneteer for
Shakespeare made an illusion to make the readers think of the speaker throwing insults
blatantly.
Conclusion
Stylistic Analysis. My initial reading has some points that are true such the comparison
of the speaker’s mistress to the things that are found in nature in a way that it appears to be an
insult although it is revealed that the speaker does not intend to insult his mistress but rather
than profess the speaker’s love for his mistress despite from the fact that she is not a goddess
but a mere mortal.
Similar to my initial reading, the sonnet contains a simple rhyme scheme but the
difference between my initial reading is that the poem itself has a different type of foot style.
The poem is written in iambic pentameter however the second line does not follow the same
pattern thus being called as a Trochee. The poem’s usage of verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives,
etc. are complex as the speaker intends to create an illusion of making the readers feel that the
speaker is insulting his mistress.
The speaker’s sole purpose is to lay down facts of the physical appearance that his
mistress possesses, as the poem progresses one can read that there is a change of sense in
which the insults are meant not to embody emotion of hurt but to lay facts and highlight the
differences his mistress have than of those other women. True as it can be, the sonnet comes to
an end as the speaker profess his rare love for his mistress despite having differences and being
just a mere mortal.
 REFERENCES
Arikan, A. (n.d.). DOING STYLISTIC ANALYSIS: SOME FUNDAMENTAL
TECHNIQUES. 1-5. Retrieved November 3, 2018, from
http://aves.akdeniz.edu.tr/YayinGoster.aspx?ID=2744&NO=119
M., Khattak, M., & Khattak, M. (2017). Article 11. The Role of Stylistics in Interpreting
Literature,02(2), 1-6. doi:10.18411/a-2017-023 Retrieved November 3, 2018, from
http://www.cityuniversity.edu.pk/curj/Journals/Journal/Jan%202012/11.pdf
 APPENDIX A
Artifact of the Study

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun (Sonnet 130)

By William Shakespeare, (1564 – 1616)
1. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
2. Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
3. If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
4. If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
5. I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
6. But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
7. And in some perfumes is there more delight
8. Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
9. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
10. That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
11. I grant I never saw a goddess go;
12. My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
13. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
14. As any she belied with false compare.