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The relevant lines say:

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

Though the word "reeks" suggests an unpleasant smell in modern English, it usually did not in Shakespeare's time. He used it to mean "exudes" or "emanates". Here, then, he is likening the mistress' breath to a scent - one which is less delightful than some, but is not necessarily unpleasant.

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12y ago
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8mo ago

The mistress' breath in Sonnet 130 is likened to perfume in the opening line: "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."

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13y ago

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.

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12y ago

Ugly but loved.

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Q: The mistress' breath in Sonnet 130 is likened to what?
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Related questions

The mistress breath in Sonnet 130 is likened to?

A bad smell.


What are the mistress' hairs are likened to in Shakespeare's Sonnet 130?

The line is, "If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head."


What is an example of hyperbole for sonnet 130?

An example of hyperbole in Sonnet 130 would be "And in some perfumes is there more delight / Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks." The comparison of a mistress's breath to a foul smell is an exaggerated and intentionally unrealistic statement for effect.


What is the title sonnet 130?

Shakespearean sonnet #130: My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun


Which sonnet begins My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun and sonnet?

Sonnet 130


How does the poet describe his mistress in Sonnet 130?

ugly


What is the hair color of the mistress in sonnet 130?

black wire


Which word best describes the mistress in Sonnet 130?

Imperfect. Ugly


In Sonnet 130 what is missing from his mistress's cheeks?

The blush that accompanies a rose


How does the narrator in sonnet 130 describe the eyes his mistress?

Shakespeare says: 'My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun'


What are these lines from Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 an example of And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from your mistress reeks?

These lines from Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 are an example of paradox. The speaker is using a paradox to show that despite the unpleasant comparison of his mistress to perfume, there is still something delightful about her. The use of paradox adds complexity and depth to the speaker's feelings.


In sonnet 130 what is the missing from his mistress's cheeks?

In sonnet 130, the speaker mentions that his mistress's cheeks are not as red as coral. He is highlighting the honesty in his love by comparing her to realistic, ordinary things rather than using exaggerated, flowery language.