William Shakespeare, My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun

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Reprinted by permission of the Folger Shakespeare Library.

William Shakespeare

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun (Literature To Go, p. 492)

Listen to “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” read by Sir John Gielgud.

From The Sonnets (AUDIO) by William Shakespeare, Performed by Sir John Gielgud. Copyright (P) and © 1963, 1996 HarperCollins Publishers Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Considerations for Critical Thinking and Writing

  1. first response. What does “mistress” mean in this sonnet? Write a description of this particular mistress based on the images used in the sonnet.

  2. What sort of person is the speaker? Does he truly love the woman he describes?

  3. In what sense are this sonnet and “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” about poetry as well as love?