Innledning
What is essential for genuine love? This age-old question has been pondered all across the globe, yielding diverse answers that vary from person to person.

The Elizabethan Era, known for its sonnets that embraced Petrarchan ideals, seemingly emphasized physical perfection as a prerequisite for true love.

However, not everyone in that era held such beliefs, as exemplified by the renowned English playwright, poet, and actor, William Shakespeare.

In his sonnet 130, he diverges from conventional notions and emphasizes that love transcends physical appearances, focusing instead on the emotional connection he shares with his partner.

Utdrag
Throughout the sonnet, Shakespeare utilizes various poetic devices, including verbal irony through metaphors and similes.

For instance, he employs simile to mock Petrarchan love sonnets by contrasting his mistress's eyes with the sun. In the Petrarchan tradition, eyes were often compared favorably to the sun, but Shakespeare humorously undermines this convention.

He also employs repetition, as seen with the repetition of "red" in line 2 and "wires" in line 4. The use of "red" emphasizes the significance of red lips in love poems, as they were commonly associated with feminine beauty.