Shakespeare to Mullen to Berrigan

      Three gifted writers, but with completely different sonnets.  As you can imagine, Shakespeare tend to be more traditional and tends to hide his massage throughout his work.  In poem 130, the discription of beauty is portrayed in a different way then most would find charming.  He knows that his love's beauty could be better, but loves her regardless.  When describing her, he starts as any love poem would.  Eyes, lips, breasts, hair, cheeks, and so on.  He compares her beauty to beautiful elements that do not have flaws. Take a look at this exert:

"I love to hear her speak- yet well  I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;"

 He loves the sound of her voice, but knows that is not pleasing as the sounds of music.  In the conclusion of the sonnet is here he states;

"And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare 

As any she belied with false compare!"

He continually will see and love her with out a second thought.

     
      Mullen and Berrigan have a much different way of writing a love poem.

Mullen uses the same compare the beauty to another, but in a much more blunt way.  

"And in some minty-fresh mouthwashes there is more sweetness than in the garlic breeze my main squeeze wheezes."  Mullen approaches the description of beauty through a modern and humorous state. I found it to be funny, but at the same time she was still able to get the message across that her loves' beauty could be far better but is content with how it is. 

     
      As for Berrigan, I got lost in some of his sonnets.  In sonnet LV, he ends with, "And go to the movies then run home drenched in flame To the grace of the make-believe bed." It seems like throughout the entire sonnet he makes up the image of love in different aspects.  

Still, throughout all three sonnets the authors used explicit, eye opening, and sensory image within every line.  This allows to engage the reader, re-reader to understand the messages, and then lastly is ensured with the better understanding of why the write the sonnet they wrote.