Who started a poem with the line 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun'?

Who started a poem with the line 'My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun'?

• A. Shakespeare
• B. Keats
• C. Milton
• D. Wordsworth

Answer: (A)

That line begins William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, part of his 154 sonnets published in the early 17th century. The poem is famous for its honest, humorous contrast to the usual praise-filled, sun-and-sky imagery of love poems. By starting with “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” Shakespeare signals a straight-talking, realist approach to a beloved, arguing that true affection doesn’t need inflated comparisons. Yet the poem still ends with a strong assertion of genuine admiration, showing that honest description can coexist with deep love. That combination—the unmistakable attribution to Shakespeare and the opening line of Sonnet 130—explains why Shakespeare is the correct answer.

That line begins William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, part of his 154 sonnets published in the early 17th century. The poem is famous for its honest, humorous contrast to the usual praise-filled, sun-and-sky imagery of love poems. By starting with “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun,” Shakespeare signals a straight-talking, realist approach to a beloved, arguing that true affection doesn’t need inflated comparisons. Yet the poem still ends with a strong assertion of genuine admiration, showing that honest description can coexist with deep love. That combination—the unmistakable attribution to Shakespeare and the opening line of Sonnet 130—explains why Shakespeare is the correct answer.