Breaking it Down

Poetry can be difficult to read at times, in fact a poet may want you to read a poem several times to fully understand it. Following these steps can help you better break down a poem to understand.

1. Read the poem once in your head.
2. Circle all of the words that are not clear.
3. Look up those words and write the definitions above the words.
4. Now read the poem ALOUD and see if the poem is easier to understand.


Let's go through the steps with William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
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 damask'd, red and white,
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;
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.

Here's is the same poem with any unclear words in bold and the definitions beside them.

My mistress' (sweetheart's) eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral (a deep pink) is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be (is) white, why then her breasts are dun (marked by dullness or drabness);
If hairs be (are) wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked (a hardy rose with large fragrant pink and white flowers), red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight (satisfaction)
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks (to give off; also a disagreeable odor).
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant (assume to be true) I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads (stomps, tramples) on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare (rarely found)
As any she belied (contradict) with false compare (comparison).

Now read the poem again but this time read it ALOUD. Is this a nice poem about his mistress? Would you call this a love poem? If you are still unsure, watch this video and see if the poem makes more sense.




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