Summary

Summary Grade 12 English Poetry

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Course
English Home Language

Institution
12th Grade

The document contains detailed notes on Grade 12 English Home Language poetry. It includes the following: 1. A list of 12 prescribed poems, along with summaries, historical context, poetic devices, themes, and discussion questions for each. 2. Examples include Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, Jo...

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Grade 12 English Home Language
Poetry 2023
1. Sonnet 130 William Shakespeare
2. The child who was shot dead… Ingrid Jonker
3. At a Funeral Dennis Brutus
4. Poem of Return Jofre Rocha
5. Talk to the Peach Tree Sipho Sepamla
6. Prayer to Masks Léopold Sédar Senghor
7. This Winter Coming Karen Press
8. Solitude Ella Wheeler Wilcox
9. The Morning Sun is Shining Olive Schreiner
10. It is a beauteous evening… William Wordsworth
11. Fern Hill Dylan Thomas
12. The Shipwreck Emily Dickenson

Please note: these notes are an amalgamation of various textbooks and websites. I have
included a List of References at the end of the document.
Some of the sources have been used verbatim and some paraphrased to suit the style of
these notes.

All poems are reproduced as they appear in “Imagined Worlds” (An Anthology of Poetry)
by C. McIntyre, S-J Olivier and E. Varga.

Feel free to amend and use these notes as you see fit.

Carlien Buss
1

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

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; 1
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, 5
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; 10
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.

Glossary:
Coral: a hard stony substance, typically forming large reefs in warm seas. Known for its bright red or pink colour.
Dun: a dull, greyish-brown colour
Damasked: patterned in pinks and red
Grant: admit
Rare: precious, unique
Belied: falsely portrayed

2

,William Shakespeare
● Born 1564; Died 1616
● English (born and died in Stratford-upon-Avon)
● He was married to Anne Hathaway, and they had three children.
● He is still known as one of the world’s greatest poets, dramatist and playwright. He wrote 37 plays and 375
poems.

Historical Context:
This is sonnet number 130 in a series of 154 sonnets. It parodies the famous (and often over-the-top) Petrarchan
sonnets in which poets described their partners in highly exaggerated and unrealistic ways. Although this poem
contains similar themes as found in traditional sonnets (Female Beauty, Love and Admiration), Shakespeare does
not idealise his beloved. He describes her in ways which are realistic and, therefore, more accurate and ‘real’.

Summary:
Shakespeare uses eight ‘anti-compliments’ to describe the uniqueness and (non-idealised) beauty of his beloved.
However, in the couplet he states that BECAUSE she is normal and ‘real’, he does not need to exaggerate her looks
or his love for her. He loves her just the way she is – perfect in her imperfection. In other words, she is perfect to
HIM – he does not need an idealised and superficial woman.
Although he seems critical and rather rude in the first 12 lines, the reader realises that he is, in fact, sincere in his
love for her. He does not need exaggerated and unrealistic comparisons to declare his genuine love for her. In being
so brutally honest, he has ironically given her a heightened beauty, simply because he does not dote on her
outward appearance.

Form/Structure:
This is a Shakespearean or Elizabethan sonnet. It consists of three quatrains (4 lines each) and a rhyming couplet (2
lines). The rhyme scheme is consistent with this format: abab cdcd efef gg. The couplet serves as a final argument to
drive home the speaker’s point. The rhythm of the point is consistent, too, and follows traditional iambic
pentameter. There are 10 syllables in each line. The mastery of this precise rhyme and rhythm shows Shakespeare’s
absolute genius!

Poetic Devices:
● This sonnet contains various metaphors and similes. Lines 1-4 contain a comparison each: He states that her
eyes are not as bright as the sun, her lips not as red as coral, her skin is quite dull, and her hair is wiry. Lines
5-12 contain a comparison extended over two lines: her cheeks are quite pale, her breath “reeks” and he would
rather listen to music than to her speak. She also walks on the ground like an average human, certainly not a
“goddess”. However, these are inverted to become anti-compliments in a way. Some readers might perceive
these as insults at first, until the couplet states so elegantly that he loves her (queue Bruno Mars…) “just the
way you are”. So, by telling the reader exactly what his beloved is NOT, we see and hear how perfect she is
DESPITE her imperfections.
● There are various uses of alliteration and assonance in the poem. Look at the repetition of “w” sound in lines
3-4, “g” in line 11, for example. These poetic devices are generally used to emphasise the words/sounds.
● Repetition occurs in lines 2 (“red”) and 4 (“wires”). This, again, emphasises the importance of the colour and
texture – the idealised Petrarchan woman had blood-red lips and golden, luscious hair.
● Anastrophe (the natural order of words is inversed) occurs in lines 6 and 7: “But no such roses see I in her
cheeks / And in some perfumes is there more delight” – this places the emphasis on the “roses” and
“perfumes” – again mocking the Petrarchan ideal.
● Hyperbole abounds in the poem – all of the comparisons are exaggerated. This emphasises the absurdity of the
Petrarchan ideals. He exaggerates the imperfections of his beloved to prove his point.
● The tone of the poem is satirical in the first 12 lines when he refutes and mocks the Petrarchan ideals. He is
sincere and almost complimentary in the couplet when he states that he loves her in spite of her imperfections.

3

, Themes:
● Escape from Idealism – Shakespeare does not idealise his beloved. She in unlike the Petrarchan ideal – she is
“real”, and he loves her despite her imperfections. He states clearly in the couplet that people who describe
their partners with idealised comparisons, are liars. This emphasises the absurdity of Idealism.
● Femininity – This sonnet addresses the problem of stereotyping female beauty by setting unreachable
standards for it. The fixed ‘definition’ of beauty is unrealistic and will make females inferior by not achieving the
ideal standards of beauty. He questions real love – we should love our partners in spite of their imperfections.
● Love – The speaker expresses his love for his beloved. He describes his values of love. He states that real love is
not based on outwards appearances and idealised looks. His love is based on connection and emotion, not the
superficial.

Questions:
1. Explain how the structure and tone of this poem allows the poet to emphasise the central message. (3)
2. Are Shakespeare’s observations in the quatrains cynical or not? Explain your answer. (2)
3. Who is the speaker ridiculing in the poem? Why does he do this? (3)
4. Explain what is meant by: “My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.” (2)
5. Refer to line 12. Comment on the effect pace has on the meaning of the line. (3)
6. Show how the last line completes his argument. Refer, in particular, to the word “false”. (2)
7. Identify three sensory images in this poem and how they relate to the central theme. (3)
8. Identify the tone in lines 1-12 and how this contrasts with the tone in the last two lines. Is this an effective shift
in tone? Justify your answer. (3)
9. Explain the use of “by heaven” in line 13. Why has this phrase been included? (2)
●

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