Question

select the correct answer. which sentence best describes this excerpt from shakespeares sonnet 130? 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 damasked, red and white, but no such roses see i in her cheeks; a. the poet uses unusual metaphors to imply the intensity of his love. b. the poet admits that his mistress falls short of poetic ideals of beauty. c. the poet expresses his contempt for poetic ideals of beauty. d. the poet conveys his disillusionment with his mistress.

Explanation:

• Option A: The excerpt uses comparisons (not unusual metaphors to imply love intensity) as it contrasts the mistress with idealized beauty standards, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: The lines compare the mistress to idealized beauty (sun, coral red, white snow, roses) and show she doesn't match these ideals (her eyes not like sun, lips less red than coral, breasts not white, cheeks without damasked roses), so the poet admits she falls short of poetic beauty ideals.
• Option C: The poet isn't expressing contempt for poetic beauty ideals but rather showing his mistress doesn't fit them; there's no contempt shown, so C is wrong.
• Option D: The excerpt doesn't show disillusionment with the mistress. It's about her not matching ideal beauty, not disillusionment with her as a person, so D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. The poet admits that his mistress falls short of poetic ideals of beauty.