“My mistress’ eyes”

Thesis: The speaker makes use of a tone shift to show that although his mistress’ looks are not great he loves her anyways.

            In many love poems the poet focuses on strong comparisons of the woman’s physical features with aspects of nature.  Shakespeare’s “My mistress’ eyes” seems to follow the traditional structure, yet it puts a twist on the traditional style by inverting the common comparisons.  The speaker describes his mistress by saying her “eyes are nothing like the sun” (1), “If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun” (3), and “no such roses see I in her cheeks” (6).  Each of these comparisons is the exact opposite of the traditional.  Normally, comparisons such as these would complement a woman, but Shakespeare chooses to invert these comparisons and describe her unflattering features.  Through these demeaning comparisons Shakespeare establishes dejected tone that leads the reader to believe that he does not love his mistress.  However, in line twelve there is a major tone shift that unlocks the speakers true meaning.   The last two lines of the poem read: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/As any she belied with false compare” (12-13).  The speaker’s tone shifts to loving and establishes that although his woman is not the prettiest woman he still loves her, and his love for her is like any other man’s love.  Shakespeare’s use of a tone shift helps to establish the point that although the woman is not as beautiful as others the speaker still loves her as any man loves a woman.