Many refer to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? as the ultimate English love poem (Shakespeare). This sonnet is typical in form and compares the beauty of a person to a summer's day. However, Shakespeare's unique Sonnet 130 is arguably more significant and insightful. Sonnet 130 "My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun" ignores the typical placement of the "volta" in a sonnet, describes an arguably more authentic love, and mocks the common love poetry of 1600s. Petrarch's sonnet influenced Shakespeare's English sonnet. used. Petrarch's sonnet has fourteen lines and is separated into an octet and a sestet. The English sonnet also has fourteen lines, but it is separated into three quatrains and a couplet. The Petrarchan has a turning point at line nine, meaning there is a shift in tone or refocusing of the idea that leads to the final theme. The turning point is known as "volta", an Italian word meaning "turning point". Accordingly, Shakespeare's English Sonnet 18 features a "volta" in line nine, the first line of the third quatrain. The placement of the turn at line nine is common but not obligatory for English sonnets. For example, Sonnet 130 has a turn in line 13. Sonnet 130 develops a metaphor for the three quatrains; he tells what the mistress is not comparable to, without alluding to the theme that the verse will present. Ignoring the standard placement of the "volta" makes Sonnet 130 more distinctive because it becomes more dramatic and emphasizes the importance of the statement in the verse. Sonnet 18 describes the person as young and attractive, and implies that she is perfect. Lust is associated with the perception of a blameless person, but this image will be destroyed. Correspondent...... middle of paper ......love for his mistress without assimilating her to objects, nature and immortals. Shakespeare's most popular poem is his Sonnet 18; however, his Sonnet 130 is more unique in form, displays a more sincere expression of love, and exposes the detrimental effects of the main simile made in Sonnet 18. Works Cited Hale, James. “Sonnet 130.” Magill on the JSCC Literature Plus Library. Masterplots II: Poetry, revised edition, January 2002. Web. February 26, 2014. Mays, Kelly J. “Poetry.” Norton Introduction to Literature. 11th ed. New York: WW Norton &, 2013. 810, 891. Print. Miller, Nelson. “Basic Sonnet Forms.” Basic Sonnet Forms. Writers Exchange Board, nd Web. February 28, 2014. .Shakespeare, William. Sonnet 18. Ed. Amandine Mabillard. Shakespeare Online. November 12, 2008. The web. February 26. 2014. .