Grass
"Grass" By Carl Sandburg is a free verse poem written in three stanzas, As such it has no rhyme scheme. This poem is short and talks about war and how grass will eventually conquer all battlefields. This poem is written from an unusual perspective, the point of view of grass.
The first line of the poem is referring to the Napoleonic Wars, specifically all the soldiers who died in the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo. The second line of the poem "Shovel them under and let me work--" is the grass telling living to bury the bodies and let it work. The grass' "work" being to cover the fields and to erase the evidence of war. The last line of the first stanza is the grass stating the eventuality of grass covering everything.
The first and second lines of the second stanza are referring to the American Civil War, and World War One respectively. The third line of the second stanza is a repetition of the third line of the first stanza "Shovel them under and let me work". However, In the second stanza this line ends in a period, as if the thought is completed. The last three lines of the second stanza informs the reader that as time passes, the grass erases more and more of the past. So much so that passengers on a train ask the conductor "What place is this?/ Where are we now?" It is interesting to note that the passengers questions all refer to the present, and make no reference to the past, which the grass has obscured.
The final lines of the poem are a deceleration by the grass, answering the questions posed. "I am the grass./ Let me work." As war appears to be inevitable judging from the battles listed, the grass will eternally attempt to heal the wounds inflicted on the landscape. While a poem from the perspective of grass is highly unusual, it is never the less effective and powerful.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The First Lord's Song (for "Tso" scrutiny)
The First Lord's Song
Created by Gilbert and Sullivan
For lyrics to the song please go to http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/firstlor.htm
(lyrics in italics are sung by the chorus and repeat the line previous. They will not be looked at in this review)
"The First Lord's Song" is a lyric from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore and satirizes the British navy when Britain was the largest empire on earth. It effectively states that the most powerful empire on earth is lead by an inexperienced and seemingly incompetent person. Each verses follows an aabbcc rhyme scheme with the last line always being a slight variation of "Now I am the Ruler of the Queens Navy."
This song is sung by the First Lord of the British Admiralty, and in it he tells the story of how he came to be in that position. At first, he was an office boy, who cleaned windows, swept the floors, and "polished up the handle of the big front door." He did these menial tasks "so carefully" that his employers promoted him to junior clerk. As junior clerk he smiled at the others and copied out legal documents in large letters so that they were very easy to see. His handwriting was so admired that he was promoted again to articled clerk. He wore clean, new clothes and did so well on his exam that he was accepted into the legal partnership. Ironically, the First Lord admits that this junior partnership was "the only ship that he ever had seen." One would think that the "Ruler of the Queen's Navy" would have at least some minor experience on board an actual ship!
Nevertheless, the First Lord continues his story and tells of how his place as a legal partner was highly lucrative for him and he grew very rich. His wealth, and not his ability it seems, caught the eye of the government and he became a political candidate in a "pocket borough" which was an electoral district where candidates from specific political parties were virtually guaranteed a seat in parliament. Once in parliament, he did what his party leader said, always voted for his party's side, and "never thought of thinking for himself at all." Because he had no experience and no strong opinions of his own, they "rewarded" him by making him "the Ruler of the Queen's Navy." He ends his story with the message, "If you want to rise to the top of the tree/... ...stick close to your desks and never go to sea/ And you all may be Rulers of the Queen's Navy." In other words, if you never gain practical experience, but just talk to the right people, join the right crowd. and have lots of money, you likely can gain a position of authority.
While this song was originally written about incompetent British figureheads in the Victorian era, and although much has changed since then, these lyrics are still extremely relevant to society today. Many politicians and officials have little or no practical experience, and are only there because they were privileged when they were young, wore nice clothes, smiled and scored well on tests. According to Gilbert and Sullivan if you wish to succeed, all you really need to do is "polish up that handle so carefully". Alas even today this remains relevant advice.
Created by Gilbert and Sullivan
For lyrics to the song please go to http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/firstlor.htm
(lyrics in italics are sung by the chorus and repeat the line previous. They will not be looked at in this review)
"The First Lord's Song" is a lyric from Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore and satirizes the British navy when Britain was the largest empire on earth. It effectively states that the most powerful empire on earth is lead by an inexperienced and seemingly incompetent person. Each verses follows an aabbcc rhyme scheme with the last line always being a slight variation of "Now I am the Ruler of the Queens Navy."
This song is sung by the First Lord of the British Admiralty, and in it he tells the story of how he came to be in that position. At first, he was an office boy, who cleaned windows, swept the floors, and "polished up the handle of the big front door." He did these menial tasks "so carefully" that his employers promoted him to junior clerk. As junior clerk he smiled at the others and copied out legal documents in large letters so that they were very easy to see. His handwriting was so admired that he was promoted again to articled clerk. He wore clean, new clothes and did so well on his exam that he was accepted into the legal partnership. Ironically, the First Lord admits that this junior partnership was "the only ship that he ever had seen." One would think that the "Ruler of the Queen's Navy" would have at least some minor experience on board an actual ship!
Nevertheless, the First Lord continues his story and tells of how his place as a legal partner was highly lucrative for him and he grew very rich. His wealth, and not his ability it seems, caught the eye of the government and he became a political candidate in a "pocket borough" which was an electoral district where candidates from specific political parties were virtually guaranteed a seat in parliament. Once in parliament, he did what his party leader said, always voted for his party's side, and "never thought of thinking for himself at all." Because he had no experience and no strong opinions of his own, they "rewarded" him by making him "the Ruler of the Queen's Navy." He ends his story with the message, "If you want to rise to the top of the tree/... ...stick close to your desks and never go to sea/ And you all may be Rulers of the Queen's Navy." In other words, if you never gain practical experience, but just talk to the right people, join the right crowd. and have lots of money, you likely can gain a position of authority.
While this song was originally written about incompetent British figureheads in the Victorian era, and although much has changed since then, these lyrics are still extremely relevant to society today. Many politicians and officials have little or no practical experience, and are only there because they were privileged when they were young, wore nice clothes, smiled and scored well on tests. According to Gilbert and Sullivan if you wish to succeed, all you really need to do is "polish up that handle so carefully". Alas even today this remains relevant advice.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
To a poet a thousand years hence
To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence
"To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence" is a message from the poet, James Elroy Flecker, to a poet living in the distant future: "a thousand years hence." The poem is quite short and basic in its format. It has six quatrains. each following an abab rhyme scheme, although some rhymes are imperfect. It is also traditional in it use of iambic tetrameter for each line.
The first stanza sets the theme of the poem. It states imagines himself dead a thousand years, and that another poet is now reading his work. Flecker "sends [his] words as messengers," for he knows he cannot live a thousand years. Flecker also acknowledges that his audience is likely a sympathetic one since he is writing to a fellow poet, not a business man or a labourer.
The second and third stanzas describe how the poet does not care if the reader has created grand pieces of engineering or machinery over the thousand year span. He does not care if people :ride secure the cruel sky: or have built "consummate palaces." Instead, he wonders if the world still have "wine and music" and "bright-eyed love" and all the things that he feels make life worthwhile in his own lifetime.
In the fourth stanza, Flecker acknowledges that things like war and conflict have been around for millenia and that he suspects it will still continue in the future. He reflects on "old Maeonides the blind" which is a reference to Homer, the writer of The Iliad, the epic story of the Trojan War. That war took place "three thousand years" before Flecker wrote this poem, so he has no reason to think that war will cease a thousand years into his future.
The final two stanzas deal with Flecker's desire to live into the future through his poetry. He calls he future reader his "friend" and him to "Read out my words at night, alone:" and remember that "I was a poet, I was young." While Flecker cannot see or meet his future reader's face, he believes that through his poem he can "send his soul through time and space/ To greet you." Because he is writing to a fellow poet, he knows his reader "will understand" Flecker's message.
"To a Poet a Thousand Years Hence" is a message from the poet, James Elroy Flecker, to a poet living in the distant future: "a thousand years hence." The poem is quite short and basic in its format. It has six quatrains. each following an abab rhyme scheme, although some rhymes are imperfect. It is also traditional in it use of iambic tetrameter for each line.
The first stanza sets the theme of the poem. It states imagines himself dead a thousand years, and that another poet is now reading his work. Flecker "sends [his] words as messengers," for he knows he cannot live a thousand years. Flecker also acknowledges that his audience is likely a sympathetic one since he is writing to a fellow poet, not a business man or a labourer.
The second and third stanzas describe how the poet does not care if the reader has created grand pieces of engineering or machinery over the thousand year span. He does not care if people :ride secure the cruel sky: or have built "consummate palaces." Instead, he wonders if the world still have "wine and music" and "bright-eyed love" and all the things that he feels make life worthwhile in his own lifetime.
In the fourth stanza, Flecker acknowledges that things like war and conflict have been around for millenia and that he suspects it will still continue in the future. He reflects on "old Maeonides the blind" which is a reference to Homer, the writer of The Iliad, the epic story of the Trojan War. That war took place "three thousand years" before Flecker wrote this poem, so he has no reason to think that war will cease a thousand years into his future.
The final two stanzas deal with Flecker's desire to live into the future through his poetry. He calls he future reader his "friend" and him to "Read out my words at night, alone:" and remember that "I was a poet, I was young." While Flecker cannot see or meet his future reader's face, he believes that through his poem he can "send his soul through time and space/ To greet you." Because he is writing to a fellow poet, he knows his reader "will understand" Flecker's message.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Second Hand White Baby Grand
Second Hand White Baby Grand
Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
For lyrics to the song go to: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/smashcast/secondhandwhitebabygrand.html
"Second Hand White Baby Grand" is a lyric written by the composer/lyricist team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. This song is about Marilyn Monroe and her relationship with her mother. The baby grand in the lyric is a piano that Marilyn's mother purchased before she was sent to an asylum for the mentally ill. Marilyn is the speaker in the poem and in it she reveals parts of her unhappy childhood.
This poem is an extended metaphor comparing the piano itself and Marilyn's childhood before and after her mother left her. The first verse refers to the origins of the piano, which was purchased by Marilyn's mother "second hand from a silent movie star." It was not it prime condition, and neither were Marilyn nor her mother. Marilyn's mother was a single mom who suffered from depression, and Marilyn was frequently in and out of foster care. Yet, together they learned to play the piano and, when they played it, all their "pain would simply fly away." To Marilyn, it was a symbol of better times.
The song's chorus continues and repeats this metaphor. It states that "something secondhand and broken, still can make a pretty sound/ Even if it doesn't have a place to live". Theses line refer to both the piano, that is auctioned off when Marilyn's mother is re-institutionalized, and to Marilyn's return to foster care. Nevertheless, Marilyn continues to believe that both the piano and herself "still have something beautiful to give." This line suggests the piano's music, Marilyn's own talents, and her hope that she and her mother might one day be reunited.
The second verse discusses how the piano is "sent away" when it is auctioned, and also how Marilyn is left "without a place to live." Marilyn sings of herself as "a child all alone" and "prays" somebody will recognize the gifts of the piano's music and Marilyn's ability to love. This is a universal theme, as no child wishes to feel abandoned, and Marilyn deeply identifies with the loss of the piano to an auction house. Being sent to several sets of foster parents must have made Marilyn feel as though she, too, were up for auction.
The beginning of the bridge refers to how the piano roams between auctions as Marilyn moves between different foster homes. Marilyn sings "For many years the music had to roam/ Until we found a way to find a home." Marilyn eventually finds and purchases the second hand white baby grand and moves it into her own home. When she sees it, she thinks of her mother standing beside it, "Just waiting for a partner to compose." While Marilyn isn't able to reunite with her mother, she is able to reclaim the piano and all it represents to her.
In the final verse, Marilyn declares that everyone "deserves a family room to live." She doesn't just mean the physical place, but the people and the joy that should inhabit it as the piano and her mother inhabited her early childhood. Marilyn concludes the song with the phrase "I still have something beautiful to give" as if she is still uncertain of her place in the world or her worthiness to be loved.
Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
For lyrics to the song go to: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/smashcast/secondhandwhitebabygrand.html
"Second Hand White Baby Grand" is a lyric written by the composer/lyricist team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. This song is about Marilyn Monroe and her relationship with her mother. The baby grand in the lyric is a piano that Marilyn's mother purchased before she was sent to an asylum for the mentally ill. Marilyn is the speaker in the poem and in it she reveals parts of her unhappy childhood.
This poem is an extended metaphor comparing the piano itself and Marilyn's childhood before and after her mother left her. The first verse refers to the origins of the piano, which was purchased by Marilyn's mother "second hand from a silent movie star." It was not it prime condition, and neither were Marilyn nor her mother. Marilyn's mother was a single mom who suffered from depression, and Marilyn was frequently in and out of foster care. Yet, together they learned to play the piano and, when they played it, all their "pain would simply fly away." To Marilyn, it was a symbol of better times.
The song's chorus continues and repeats this metaphor. It states that "something secondhand and broken, still can make a pretty sound/ Even if it doesn't have a place to live". Theses line refer to both the piano, that is auctioned off when Marilyn's mother is re-institutionalized, and to Marilyn's return to foster care. Nevertheless, Marilyn continues to believe that both the piano and herself "still have something beautiful to give." This line suggests the piano's music, Marilyn's own talents, and her hope that she and her mother might one day be reunited.
The second verse discusses how the piano is "sent away" when it is auctioned, and also how Marilyn is left "without a place to live." Marilyn sings of herself as "a child all alone" and "prays" somebody will recognize the gifts of the piano's music and Marilyn's ability to love. This is a universal theme, as no child wishes to feel abandoned, and Marilyn deeply identifies with the loss of the piano to an auction house. Being sent to several sets of foster parents must have made Marilyn feel as though she, too, were up for auction.
The beginning of the bridge refers to how the piano roams between auctions as Marilyn moves between different foster homes. Marilyn sings "For many years the music had to roam/ Until we found a way to find a home." Marilyn eventually finds and purchases the second hand white baby grand and moves it into her own home. When she sees it, she thinks of her mother standing beside it, "Just waiting for a partner to compose." While Marilyn isn't able to reunite with her mother, she is able to reclaim the piano and all it represents to her.
In the final verse, Marilyn declares that everyone "deserves a family room to live." She doesn't just mean the physical place, but the people and the joy that should inhabit it as the piano and her mother inhabited her early childhood. Marilyn concludes the song with the phrase "I still have something beautiful to give" as if she is still uncertain of her place in the world or her worthiness to be loved.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Fog
Fog
The poem "Fog" is an imagist poem meaning that it creates an image and a mood, but doesn't tell a story or express a strong emotional reponse like narrative or lyric poems traditionally do. In addition, this free verse poem is very brief and composed of only two stanzas. The first stanza contains two lines and the second stanza contains four lines. The entire poem is basically an extended metaphor comparing fog to a cat. Since I am used to fog, as I live in Vancouver, and since I have two cats, I can easily grasp the effectiveness of the poet's metaphor.
In the first stanza the poet states that fog comes "on little cat feet." This sets up the metaphor of the fog as a cat. The second stanza begins "it sits looking/ over harbour and city" meaning that the fog remains hovering for sometime, almost as if it is observing the cityscape. The next line "on silent haunches" adds to the cat metaphor, because cats ,like fog, can remain sitting, completely stationary, for hours. The last line "and then moves on" describes how very quickly and silently fog can leave, just like a cat. There is no reason given in the poem as to why the fog leaves - the sun hasn't burned through or a strong wind hasn'ts come up - just as cats are naturally aloof and come and go as they please.
This poem is particularly relatable to anyone who lives in a harbour city, or owns a cat. Cats can move with utmost swiftness, and not make a sound, just like fog. Fog can be dangerous as when it obscures rocks and islets from ships, and cats can be equally dangerous, striking out with claws when suddenly provoked.
Both fog and cats are stealthy and can move soundlessly and unexpectedly. In comparing the fog to a cat, the poet gives the fog a sense of animation while the cat becomes even more mysterious. It is a very powerful and effective comparison, especially as it is made in only six lines of free verse poetry.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The lady of Shalott (for "Tso" scrutiny)
The Lady of Shalott
This poem is a ballad. It tells a story, has characters, and has setting. Each stanza has an aaaabcccb rhyme scheme with the 5th and 9th lines ending in the words "Shallot", "Camelot" or "Lancelot."
This gives the stanzas a strong sense of continuity throughout the poem which is divided into four different parts.
Part One has fantastic imagery, setting up a river, with barley and rye on either side. Down the river lies Camelot, and in the middle of the river is the island of Shalott on which there is a castle The descriptions are vivid and colourful, and the poet uses plenty of alliteration and onomatopoeia to make the writing appealing to all the reader's senses. The final stanza of Part One also foreshadows something ominous behind the beautiful, descriptive imagery, with the mention of the "reapers reaping."
Part Two describes the inside the Lady of Shalott's tower, and tells that the Lady of Shalott is cursed although she does not know the nature of the curse. The only thing she does know is that she is not to look out the window. Instead, she looks at the outside world through reflections in her mirror that hangs above the loom where she weaves a tapestry. Thus she can only see things second hand, shadows of true images, but never the images themselves. While the Lady seems content to weave images she sees in her mirror, near the end of Part Two the Lady of Shalott sees newlyweds walking by the river's edge. She will never be a newlywed, trapped in the tower, and openly proclaims "I am half-sick of shadows".
Part Three has even more amazing imagery as it introduces and describes the handsome and dashing Lancelot and his steed. The Lady of Shalott can only gaze on him through her mirror. As she catches more glimpses of his stunning glory, she finally reaches her breaking point. She leaves her loom and looks out the window to gaze directly upon Lancelot. As she does, her tapestry flies off the loom and the mirror "cracks from side to side" indicating the the unknown curse has descended on the Lady of Shalott.
Part Four begins with the Lady of Shalott leaving her tower and going to the river where she discovers a boat. She writes on the prow "The Lady of Shalott," releases the boat from it's tethers, and lies down in the boat in a glassy-eyed trance. She begins to sing her last song as she floats down the river and by the time she reaches the first house of Camelot, she dies. As her boat drifts near the wharves, all the people of Camelot come to see what is happening. When they realize she is dead, they all make the sign of the cross, save for Lancelot. Lancelot speaks "She has a lovely face;/ God in his mercy give her grace,/ the Lady of Shalott."
This poem on the surface is just a story of a lady trapped in a tower; however, if you examine it closely you can see that it is really posing a question. Is it better to live safely in a sort of half life in the shadows, or is it better to seize life and opportunities even though you take on risks when you do so? '
Tennyson, the poet, leaves the answer to the question up to the reader, making the reader reconsider the events and choices that occur to the characters in "'The Lady of Shallot."
This poem is a ballad. It tells a story, has characters, and has setting. Each stanza has an aaaabcccb rhyme scheme with the 5th and 9th lines ending in the words "Shallot", "Camelot" or "Lancelot."
This gives the stanzas a strong sense of continuity throughout the poem which is divided into four different parts.
Part One has fantastic imagery, setting up a river, with barley and rye on either side. Down the river lies Camelot, and in the middle of the river is the island of Shalott on which there is a castle The descriptions are vivid and colourful, and the poet uses plenty of alliteration and onomatopoeia to make the writing appealing to all the reader's senses. The final stanza of Part One also foreshadows something ominous behind the beautiful, descriptive imagery, with the mention of the "reapers reaping."
Part Two describes the inside the Lady of Shalott's tower, and tells that the Lady of Shalott is cursed although she does not know the nature of the curse. The only thing she does know is that she is not to look out the window. Instead, she looks at the outside world through reflections in her mirror that hangs above the loom where she weaves a tapestry. Thus she can only see things second hand, shadows of true images, but never the images themselves. While the Lady seems content to weave images she sees in her mirror, near the end of Part Two the Lady of Shalott sees newlyweds walking by the river's edge. She will never be a newlywed, trapped in the tower, and openly proclaims "I am half-sick of shadows".
Part Three has even more amazing imagery as it introduces and describes the handsome and dashing Lancelot and his steed. The Lady of Shalott can only gaze on him through her mirror. As she catches more glimpses of his stunning glory, she finally reaches her breaking point. She leaves her loom and looks out the window to gaze directly upon Lancelot. As she does, her tapestry flies off the loom and the mirror "cracks from side to side" indicating the the unknown curse has descended on the Lady of Shalott.
Part Four begins with the Lady of Shalott leaving her tower and going to the river where she discovers a boat. She writes on the prow "The Lady of Shalott," releases the boat from it's tethers, and lies down in the boat in a glassy-eyed trance. She begins to sing her last song as she floats down the river and by the time she reaches the first house of Camelot, she dies. As her boat drifts near the wharves, all the people of Camelot come to see what is happening. When they realize she is dead, they all make the sign of the cross, save for Lancelot. Lancelot speaks "She has a lovely face;/ God in his mercy give her grace,/ the Lady of Shalott."
This poem on the surface is just a story of a lady trapped in a tower; however, if you examine it closely you can see that it is really posing a question. Is it better to live safely in a sort of half life in the shadows, or is it better to seize life and opportunities even though you take on risks when you do so? '
Tennyson, the poet, leaves the answer to the question up to the reader, making the reader reconsider the events and choices that occur to the characters in "'The Lady of Shallot."
Shall I compare thee, My mistress eyes comparison
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day (sonnet 18)
My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun (sonnet 130)
Both Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" and "Sonnet 130" follow the traditional model for English sonnets. The have the abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter which naturally creates three quatrains and an heroic couplet. They both deal with the topic of the poet's lover, but Shakespeare's treatment of his lover is completely different in the sonnets.
"Sonnet 18" is very traditional in that it praises the woman the sonnet is about. The first line is a rhetorical question: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"and the rest of the poem answers the question. The sonnet praises the woman, saying she is "more lovely and more temperate." The poet says that she is more beautiful and unchanging than summer because while summer can have days that are too hot or days that are cloudy, her beauty is never "dimmed" and she remains beautiful. Shakespeare goes so far as to say that his love's beauty is eternal and she will never die. The concluding couplet says that "as long as men can breath or eyes can see," her beauty will live on as people from future generations read this sonnet and hear her beauty described. This kind of ideal, romantic praise is typical subject material for a sonnet.
In contrast, Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" is like an anti-sonnet. While it still contains three quatrains and a couplet and maintains the English sonnet rhyme and rhythm, it doesn't focus on praising the woman. Instead this poem states that nature is more beautiful than the mistress. Her hair is "wiry" and her skin is "dun." Poets traditionally praise their ladies scent, but she "reeks" and she does not glide with the grace of a goddess but rather "treads on the ground." This woman receives a very different and far less pleasant treatment than the woman of "Sonnet 18". However, in the last two lines Shakespeare redeems himself, and his love, by stating that he loves her because of these faults and not in spite of them. She is a real woman and his love for her is not blinded, but genuine.
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" was written early on in his sonnet sequence, and he glorifies the woman he writes about and put her above a summer's day. Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" was written much later in his sonnet sequence, and in this he puts nature above his mistress. It is interesting to compare how previously he was overstating the beauty of the woman, because he saw her as perfect, but then later he states the mistress's flaws outright, embracing them as a part of her, and loving her because of them.
My mistress eyes are nothing like the sun (sonnet 130)
Both Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" and "Sonnet 130" follow the traditional model for English sonnets. The have the abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter which naturally creates three quatrains and an heroic couplet. They both deal with the topic of the poet's lover, but Shakespeare's treatment of his lover is completely different in the sonnets.
"Sonnet 18" is very traditional in that it praises the woman the sonnet is about. The first line is a rhetorical question: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"and the rest of the poem answers the question. The sonnet praises the woman, saying she is "more lovely and more temperate." The poet says that she is more beautiful and unchanging than summer because while summer can have days that are too hot or days that are cloudy, her beauty is never "dimmed" and she remains beautiful. Shakespeare goes so far as to say that his love's beauty is eternal and she will never die. The concluding couplet says that "as long as men can breath or eyes can see," her beauty will live on as people from future generations read this sonnet and hear her beauty described. This kind of ideal, romantic praise is typical subject material for a sonnet.
In contrast, Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" is like an anti-sonnet. While it still contains three quatrains and a couplet and maintains the English sonnet rhyme and rhythm, it doesn't focus on praising the woman. Instead this poem states that nature is more beautiful than the mistress. Her hair is "wiry" and her skin is "dun." Poets traditionally praise their ladies scent, but she "reeks" and she does not glide with the grace of a goddess but rather "treads on the ground." This woman receives a very different and far less pleasant treatment than the woman of "Sonnet 18". However, in the last two lines Shakespeare redeems himself, and his love, by stating that he loves her because of these faults and not in spite of them. She is a real woman and his love for her is not blinded, but genuine.
Shakespeare's "Sonnet 18" was written early on in his sonnet sequence, and he glorifies the woman he writes about and put her above a summer's day. Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" was written much later in his sonnet sequence, and in this he puts nature above his mistress. It is interesting to compare how previously he was overstating the beauty of the woman, because he saw her as perfect, but then later he states the mistress's flaws outright, embracing them as a part of her, and loving her because of them.
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