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English Quiz - Poetry - My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Questions)

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 praises real love without clichés. Explore how honest imagery, rhythm, and structure challenge idealised beauty while building a witty, convincing argument.

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Fascinating Fact:

The couplet gives the truth of love. “By heaven, I think my love as rare as any she belied with false compare.”

In GCSE English, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 flips typical love-poem comparisons. Instead of idealising a mistress, the poem rejects false images and ends by affirming a love that is honest, human, and secure.

Key Terms

  • Sonnet: A 14-line poem, often in iambic pentameter, with a set rhyme scheme and a concluding couplet.
  • Blazon: A list of comparisons praising a lover’s features; here it’s subverted for humour and truth.
  • Couplet: Two rhymed lines at the end that summarise or twist the poem’s message.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the message of Sonnet 130 in GCSE English?

Sonnet 130 argues that love doesn’t need exaggerated comparisons. By rejecting clichés, Shakespeare shows genuine affection based on reality rather than unrealistic ideals.

How does Shakespeare use structure and form in Sonnet 130?

He uses the English sonnet form. Three quatrains undermine idealised images; the final rhyming couplet affirms sincere love, creating a witty reversal at the end.

Which techniques should I analyse in Sonnet 130?

Comment on iambic pentameter, ironic tone, subverted blazon, vivid imagery, and the closing couplet’s shift from mockery to truthful affirmation.

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Sonnet 130: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun

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

William Shakespeare
1. Who is the speaker (narrator) of this poem?
[ ] Shakespeare
[ ] The mistress
[ ] The mistress' lover
[ ] The reader
2. 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun' - What does this line mean?
[ ] The speaker's mistress has bright, shining eyes
[ ] The mistress' eyes are not yellow
[ ] The speaker's mistress has flaming eyes
[ ] There are no similarities between the mistress' eyes and the sun
3. 'If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun' - What does 'dun' mean?
[ ] Pure white
[ ] Dull or mousy brown
[ ] Dazzling white
[ ] Pale cream
4. Which of the following is true?
[ ] The speaker describes the beauty of his beloved with similes
[ ] The speaker believes his mistress is hideous
[ ] The speaker pokes fun at the clichéd similes used to describe women's beauty
[ ] The speaker believes that clichés are the most accurate way to describe someone
5. 'I have seen roses damasked, red and white / But no such roses see I in her cheeks' - What do these lines imply?
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress has cheeks much rosier than 'damasked' roses
[ ] The speaker implies that he has examined his mistress' cheeks, expecting to see roses
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress' cheeks resemble flowers other than roses
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress' cheeks resemble roses in other ways
6. 'If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head' - Which of the following best describes the tone of this line?
[ ] Grotesque
[ ] Ambivalent
[ ] Reflective
[ ] Insolent
7. What is the rhyme scheme of this sonnet?
[ ] AABB BBCC CCDD EE
[ ] ABCA BCDB CDEC EE
[ ] ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
[ ] ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
8. 'My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground' - The poet contrasts his beloved's movement with that of...
[ ] a rose
[ ] an angel
[ ] a goddess
[ ] a man
9. All sonnets have a 'turn', or change. In Sonnet 130, the turn occurs in which lines?
[ ] Lines 3-4
[ ] Lines 7-8
[ ] Lines 11-12
[ ] Lines 13-14
10. What is meant by the final couplet?
[ ] The speaker believes his love is at least as wonderful as women who are falsely praised
[ ] The speaker admits he has been lying about his beloved
[ ] The speaker believes that women lie about their looks
[ ] All of the above
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English Quiz - Poetry - My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (Answers)
1. Who is the speaker (narrator) of this poem?
[ ] Shakespeare
[ ] The mistress
[x] The mistress' lover
[ ] The reader
2. 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun' - What does this line mean?
[ ] The speaker's mistress has bright, shining eyes
[ ] The mistress' eyes are not yellow
[ ] The speaker's mistress has flaming eyes
[x] There are no similarities between the mistress' eyes and the sun
3. 'If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun' - What does 'dun' mean?
[ ] Pure white
[x] Dull or mousy brown
[ ] Dazzling white
[ ] Pale cream
Even if you do not know the meaning of the word 'dun', by this point in the poem you can work out that the mistress is the opposite of the extravagant comparisons
4. Which of the following is true?
[ ] The speaker describes the beauty of his beloved with similes
[ ] The speaker believes his mistress is hideous
[x] The speaker pokes fun at the clichéd similes used to describe women's beauty
[ ] The speaker believes that clichés are the most accurate way to describe someone
5. 'I have seen roses damasked, red and white / But no such roses see I in her cheeks' - What do these lines imply?
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress has cheeks much rosier than 'damasked' roses
[x] The speaker implies that he has examined his mistress' cheeks, expecting to see roses
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress' cheeks resemble flowers other than roses
[ ] The speaker implies that his mistress' cheeks resemble roses in other ways
The speaker implies throughout that he has been led to believe that metaphors and similes are to be taken literally
6. 'If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head' - Which of the following best describes the tone of this line?
[x] Grotesque
[ ] Ambivalent
[ ] Reflective
[ ] Insolent
By the time that we read of his beloved's reeking breath, we get the picture! The metaphors and similes used to describe women's looks are ridiculous
7. What is the rhyme scheme of this sonnet?
[ ] AABB BBCC CCDD EE
[ ] ABCA BCDB CDEC EE
[x] ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
[ ] ABAB BCBC CDCD EE
8. 'My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground' - The poet contrasts his beloved's movement with that of...
[ ] a rose
[ ] an angel
[x] a goddess
[ ] a man
9. All sonnets have a 'turn', or change. In Sonnet 130, the turn occurs in which lines?
[ ] Lines 3-4
[ ] Lines 7-8
[ ] Lines 11-12
[x] Lines 13-14
The sonnet was originally an Italian poetic form. The Italian term for 'turn' is volta
10. What is meant by the final couplet?
[x] The speaker believes his love is at least as wonderful as women who are falsely praised
[ ] The speaker admits he has been lying about his beloved
[ ] The speaker believes that women lie about their looks
[ ] All of the above
© Education Quizzes. Please visit www.educationquizzes.com to subscribe