Sonnet 130: The most honest love

Sonnet 130 may be one of my favorite poems...ever. Although it may come across as cold, I see it in a completely different light; I find it heartfelt and beautiful. This may be reaching, but maybe only people who have had an extremely serious relationship can understand the true love that this poem represents. Part of true, unconditional love is realizing that your significant other is imperfect and fallible and loving them more with each flaw you may find. The narrator goes down a list of flaws, focusing on the most self-apparent- physical appearance. From her "dun" colored breasts (3) to her "black [wire]" hair (4), it is obvious that this woman is not the prettiest pumpkin in the patch. There is a very subtle shift in the line "I love to hear her speak, yet well I know/ That music hath a far more pleasing sound;/" (9-10). The shift occurs as soon as the narrator moves from simple descriptions to the addition of a personal interjection. The phrase "I love to hear her speak" creates an instant image for me; you and your love are sitting on the porch and are telling each other about your days. As we women sometimes tend to do, she begins to ramble a bit, and instead of just zoning out, he stares at her taking in every word with his eyes. Its a lovely example of respect and true admiration. I may be the only woman I know to admit this, but I would love to be the subject woman of Sonnet 130. It is far more flattering to be desired for internal qualities rather than stereotypical beauty.