William Shakespeares sonnet My Mistresss Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun illustrates that the perception of beauty is subjective and true love is blind.

           The speaker, a man in love with his mistress, portrays the physical characteristics of his mistress and the affection that he has for her. The speaker ironically contrasts his mistress to items of nature which are commonly perceived as beautiful: “My Mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun” and “coral is far more red than her lips red.” Initially, his tone seems negative and insulting. However, his tone transitions to passion as he claims he “loves to hear her speak” and then ends by expressing that his love for her is “rare.” After he proves that he truly loves his mistress, despite her flaws, it becomes clear that the poem mocks and disapproves other poets’ clichés that compare their lovers to nature’s beauty and perfection.

           The theme in Shakespeare’s sonnet “My Mistress’s Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” is that love sees no flaws and is revealed in the sonnet when the speaker compares his mistress the beauty in nature by being truthful that she cannot compare in beauty. “My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red.” The reader can assume that the mistress is unsightly since nature is commonly perceived as beautiful. However, the speaker never claims that his mistress is ugly or that nature is superior; instead, he leaves the question of beauty to the reader. He also allows it to be known that he truly loves his mistress: “I love to hear her speak” and “I think my love as rare.” These verses indicate that the speaker loves her despite the fact that he knows she’s not beautiful and thus, the theme is that true love is blind.

        Shakespeare’s sonnet “My Mistress’s Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun” proves to be powerful, displaying that true love is blind. The sonnet deserves its reputation as a classic since it successfully displays a shift in tone and reveals a significant theme.