Question

determining word meaning
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;
—\sonnet 130,
william shakespeare
use context to identify the meanings of the words underlined in the poem.
dun:
damask’d:
options for dun (shown): dull colored, shiny, transparent

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "dun" in the poem, we analyze the context. The poem compares the mistress's features to idealized standards (sun, coral, snow - white). Snow is white, and the line "If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun" implies her breasts are not white. Among the options, "dull colored" fits as it contrasts with the bright white of snow, while "shiny" and "transparent" don't make sense in this contrast - based description of her breast color relative to snow.

Answer:

dull colored