"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."
The author's use of inverted sentences really adds to the artistic value of this poem. The speaker compares his lover to a variety of different common objects, but he states that his lover does not even possess the beautiful qualities that these objects have. Her eyes are not bright like the sun, nor are her lips red like coral, and she doesn't have good smelling breath either. It seems at first that the speaker must be completely repulsed by his lover. He is describing her in such a negative way. But, the truth is the opposite. He admires her dearly and believes she is at least as beautiful and fair smelling and lively as any woman. She is equally good. The real point that the speaker is trying to prove is that when people describe their lovers as having the most beautiful white skin, the reddest lips, the voice of an angel, and rosy cheeks, there is at least some hint of exaggeration. These types of people don't exist. The author puts forth the point that his lover does not need all these traits and he doesn't need to lie and say that she has them. He knows her real value, and he doesn't have to exaggerate it.
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