Analysis of sonnet 130 vs. dim lady

Sonnet 130 vs. Dim Lady The theme of both Sonnet 130 and Dim Lady are the same. It is a poem where a man is describing the woman he loves. From the description, we can conclude that the woman is not beautiful yet the man still loves her very much despite her being not so attractive physically. The main thesis of both poems is that although the woman is just ordinary looking, not beautiful, and not perfect, the man still finds her attractive in her own right and he still loves her. Another way of stating the theme of both poems is through the quote, “ Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” We find in both poems how the man finds something special from his loved one. Shakespeare’s “ Sonnet 130” is in iambic pentameter. It has a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd efef gg. Lines one and three uses the words, “ sun” and “ dun”, lines two and four make use of “ red” and “ head”, lines five and seven “ white” and “ delight”, lines six and eight “ cheeks” and “ reeks”, lines nine and eleven “ know” and “ go”, lines ten and twelve “ sound” and “ ground”, and lines thirteen and fourteen “ rare” and “ compare”. The sentences used by Shakespeare are not choppy and the sentence structures are smooth flowing. Flowery language is not employed; in fact, it is contrary to the usual conventions of love poetry. Mullen’s “ Dim Lady” on the other hand, does not have a rhyme scheme. There is no meter and verse lineation unlike “ Sonnet 130” The level of diction used by Mullen is slang in a way and more contemporary. She used the words “ peepers” to mean eyes, “ noggin” to mean head, and “ mug” to mean face. She also used commercial brands to compare the physical characteristics of the woman. Brands such as Shakey’s, Slinky, Liquid Paper, Muzak, Twinkie, and Red Lobster were used. Several similes and metaphors are used in both poems. In “ Dim Lady”, Mullen compared the woman’s eyes to neon. Shakespeare on the other hand compared the eyes of the woman to the sun. The Sonnet is rich in a figurative language such as the comparison between roses/cheeks, perfume/breath, music/voice, and goddess/mistress. Shakespeare used love poetry metaphors in his Sonnet. Exaggerated comparisons were resorted to by both poets. In “ Dim Lady”, the breathing of the woman was compared with the smell of garlic, while Shakespeare described it as an opposite to the scent of a perfume. The tone of both “ Sonnet 130” and “ Dim Lady” is both ironic and sarcastic because both poems seem to insult the woman being described yet the man still loves her dearly. At the start of both poems, the audience might think that the man does not love her partner but in the end, one finds that the man still loves her despite her shortcomings. In conclusion, one may say that both “ Sonnet 130” and “ Dim Lady” have almost the same literary style. The use of figurative language in both poems is abundant. The tones are both ironic. In both poems, it is only in the last two lines that the true attitude and feeling of the man towards her woman is revealed. The theme of both poems shows that true love comes from the acceptance of the other person’s faults. A woman may be imperfect and unattractive yet she is still loved by her partner. Her partner perceives her as being perfect for him.