Content Notice (CN): Reference to misogynoir (oppression specifically against Black womxn). End of CN. Image Description (ID): Tena, a dark-skin person of color, smirks as zhe looks upward, off camera. Zhe is wearing dark jean coveralls with a white tee shirt. End of ID. Credit: The Literary and Social Traditions of “Sonnet 130” by Tena Gordon (@reformistrevolutionaryrose). End of Credit. Part 3: Additionally, the speaker is vague in their descriptions of the mistress, as none of the traits are unique to one individual. The absent identity of the mistress homogenizes womxn of color. The ambiguity of the mistress may serve to guard the white speaker against backlash over an interracial relationship or love affair. Some readers may even assume the mistress is white, too. Only audience members with the relevant background knowledge or research interests will deduce that the mistress is likely Aemilia Bassano Lanier, a Moroccan Jewish womxn (Hudson 2009). She was “the first woman in England to publish a book of original poetry” and she had a rich background in the arts, namely theater and music (Hudson 2009). Nevertheless, the mistress’ livelihood and achievements are never discussed in the poem. If Aemilia Bassano Lanier is indeed the author of “Sonnet 130,” then the poem could serve as a social commentary on how white men are infatuated with womxn of color yet do not treat them as their own person. Therefore, the speaker represents a white man objectifying a womxn of color. Superficially, “Sonnet 130” seems revolutionary. The speaker is more realistic than other English sonnets in their characterization of a mistress. Members of the audience may even appreciate a mistress they can physically relate to. The mistress seems like the average womxn in the audience. However, the speaker in “Sonnet 130” is problematic for making the mistress’ appearance and mannerisms the center of the poem. End of Part 3. Hashtags: #sonnet130 #AemiliaBassanoLanier #AemiliaBassano #AemiliaLanier #AemiliaLanyer #EmiliaBassano #EmiliaLanyer #EmiliaBassanoLanyer #EmiliaLanier #WilliamShakespeare End of Hashtags.
