Sonnet 130, by William Shakespeare: 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; 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. People say that art imitates life, and while some of William Shakespeare’s poems are not as applicable in today’s age, many of his sonnets were groundbreaking works that reflected the emotions and the cultural standards of that time. Shakespeare- one of the most influential and famous poets ever- has written hundreds of widely renowned poems, but one of his more notable works is Sonnet 130 published in 1609 in London. Although most of Shakespeare’s sonnets are centered around a man, this sonnet is one of few that addresses a lady, whose physical repulsiveness starkly contrasts the love that Shakespeare feels for her. In England during the 1600s, women had societal expectations and standards if a man was to find them pleasing, including looking a certain way, remaining silent and well-kept. Also during this time, most sonnets were romantic, portraying the joys and wonders of love. In Sonnet 130, however, Shakespeare breaks these societal norms of this period through his unique description of the lady in the sonnet, how his poems contrast the cultural values of that time and the poetic devices he uses to convey his thoughts. In this sonnet, Shakespeare writes differently when describing the lady in the poem. This Lady is known as the “Dark Lady,” although never directly named in the sonnet. Shakespeare thoroughly describes her lack of beauty and care for herself, which sets up opposing and negative feelings toward this dame. Among these, he remarks how “her breasts are dun,” and “breath that from my mistress reeks” (Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130” lines 3-8). This derogatory description of the lady leads the audience to picture a woman he is repulsed by and causes them to wonder why he is describing her so, whether she truly is this way or if he is exaggerating or even making up these descriptions to get back at her in some way. Then, in the last two lines of the sonnet, the tone completely shifts when Shakespeare writes “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare/ As any she belied with false compare” (Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130” lines 13-14). This sentence completely changes the meaning of the whole poem. While Shakespeare is still describing all of the unattractive qualities earlier in the sonnet, his profession of love for her means that he doesn’t care about these qualities, and if anything finds her just as rare and worthy as any other captivating woman in that era. This is a very realistic portrayal of love, as the longer a person knows their spouse, the weirder things they learn about them, but they love them all the more for it. In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare breaks the societal norms of the late 1500s and early 1600s by writing in a way that contrasts the cultural values of that time. In this period, many poems were written about romances, specifically making the female conservative, elegant, and conventionally attractive. Shakespeare describes the lady by saying, “If snow is white, why then her breasts are dun” (Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130” line 3). This alludes to the idea that the lady is simply dirty, or potentially dark-skinned, which the higher class that Shakespeare was a part of would not interact with or have romantic feelings towards. By describing the mistress in this way, which could come across as offensive or rude, Shakespeare writes differently than most poets and sonnets of that time, who would call their lovers pleasing names. This effect isn’t entirely bad, though. It creates a different standard for love, one that surpasses surface features and personas, and penetrates who each other are. This love is deeper and more real than lusting after a woman’s good looks; Shakespeare loves this woman for who she is, a love that transcends time and societal trends. Finally, Shakespeare makes an impact in Sonnet 130 through the poetic devices he uses to convey his thoughts. Shakespeare uses similes, such as "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun," and "Coral is far more red than her lips' red” (Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130” lines 1-2). He also makes use of imagery, such as "If snow be white" and "roses damasked" to create vivid pictures in the reader’s minds (Shakespeare, “Sonnet 130” lines 3-5). These poetic devices help make the sonnet more colorful and highly descriptive. Shakespeare’s use of these methods challenges the conventional idealizations of beauty and offers a more authentic view of love. While many of Shakespeare’s sonnets are great poetic works, Sonnet 130 is especially well praised, due to the way Shakespeare breaks the cultural expectations of that time through his opposing descriptions of the lady, using wording to contrast the romantic poetry at that time, and the poetic devices he uses to convey his thoughts. This Sonnet portrays a real, authentic view of love and embraces the different sides of loving someone, a new concept in Shakespeare’s era, but one that can still be applicable today.

Kids and dogs ran through the muddy, debris-ridden alleyways making up The Dump, one of the many poverty-stricken areas in Guatemala City. It can be dangerous, crowded, and unclean. At first glance, the families living here may not look like they have much, but one only has to meet a resident to learn that this is a tight-knit, loving community of people simply trying to provide for themselves and their children. In the summer of 2023, I was fortunate to meet a few families in this area. While their circumstances are heartbreaking, what impacted me was the sheer amount of selfless love and joy from anyone I met. These families and children were some of the most genuine, kind souls I have ever encountered. Getting to serve them and know their joy on my church’s mission trip has been one of the most fulfilling and humbling experiences and impacted my future in many ways.  When I was not helping out with friends in Guatemala, I was continually involved in our town. I serve on weekends at my local church and am on the committee to help organize and plan our high school youth group, REACH. Despite volunteering at home, nothing has brought me greater joy than serving with the Guatemalans, and I yearned to go back. This past July, I chose to return to Guatemala, to lean into my passion for serving others and continue to foster relationships with these same families and kids. What a fun reunion it was! I didn’t want to be just another missionary who came for one week and never returned. I have learned that while physically helping others is important, the biggest gift I can give someone is time with them, getting to know their likes and dislikes, opinions, and points of view. Forming unique relationships over the last couple of years with these amazing people has affected me for the rest of my life. Getting to be around the Guatemalan children and experiencing their contagious joy and youthfulness has solidified my desire to work primarily with children in my career. I want to be in a position where I can directly improve the lives of others, especially helping kids in need of medical assistance, and this scholarship will help me reach my higher education required to do that. Serving others, both locally and internationally, is fulfilling both emotionally and spiritually, and I want to pursue that life of service through my relationships with others in college and into my future career. This scholarship can cover the cost of something seemingly mundane but will help fund my education, which can present me with higher opportunities in the workforce. Most importantly, though, through this scholarship, I can pursue a career I love and pass on the gift of care and service to others.