My Mistress' Eyes

I really like how Shakespeare satirizes other poems and literature in the first half of the poem. I didn't quite see it until we talked about it in class, but it makes sense now that that was his point. He's not saying that his girlfriend is ugly and that he loves her anyway. What he's saying is that he loves her so much that he's not going to lie to her. He wants to tell her what he truly thinks of her rather than comparing her to something which she doesn't resemble. He makes fun of all the other poets for finding cheesy metaphors for women because there is no way for the comparisons to be true. No woman's lips are as red as coral unless it's cold and windy and she needs some Chapstick. He doesn't need to imply that her lips are chapped to compliment her when he can just say her lips are pretty. Thank you, Shakespeare, for your honesty and simplicity.