My Mistress' Eyes

     In My Mistress' Eyes by William Shakespeare the speaker's lover is being compared to many images that his lover is not.  He says that  her "eyes are nothing like the sun" (1) and that "coral is far more red than her lips' red" (2). All of these things that he wants in her, she lacks.  This just shows how imperfect the man is for wanting such a perfect woman.  His love for her is based on how well she compares to all of these amazing and beautiful images of nature.  Even though the speaker's lover is not all of these things, the speaker still thinks that his love is rare and unlike anything else.  He is making false comparisons because none of this will ever be true.  His tone shifts when he makes these comparisons and then says that his love is strong. She is nothing that he wanted yet he says that his love is "rare".  These comparisons are often exaggerated in love poetry and the author is showing the reality of it all.  Shakespeare knows that these comparisons are not realistic at all and proves that through the poem.