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; 5 I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some pérfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know 10 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.
My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far redder than the red of her lips;
If snow is white, then her breasts are a dull brown;
If hairs are wires, black wires grow on her head;
I have seen Damask roses, red and white,
But I do not see the color of roses in her cheeks;
And some perfumes are more delightful
Than the breath that reeks out of my mistress.
I love to hear her speak, but I also know that
That music has a much more pleasing sound.
I admit that I never saw a goddess walking,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
But, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any other woman misrepresented by false comparisons.
Suzy Kim is a graduate student studying Victorian literature at Brown University. She studied English and Psychology at University of Pennsylvania, and some of her creative work can be found in the upcoming volume of The Graphic Canon: Tales of Crime and Mystery Vol. 1. She is from Seoul, and currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island.