Discussion Post 13 Heather Hansen

Shakespeare’s Sonnet 13o challenges idealized portrayals of love, favoring honesty over exaggerated praise. Similarly, Raymonnd Carver’s stories, such as those in “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”, strip relationships down to their raw and realistic elements. Both writers reject romantic illusions. Shakespeare describes his plainly, “if hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head”. While Carver writes, “It ought to make us feel ashamed when we talk like we know what we’re talking about when we talk about love”. I admire this sonnet because it values sincerity over superficial beauty. Shakespeare’s speaker loves his mistress despite her flaws or perhaps because of them. Reminding us that true affection doesn’t need poetic exaggeration. This honest approach resonates with Carver’s worldview, where love is messy, grounded, and uncertain. Both artists suggest that love, in it’s most authentic form, is not about perfection but about acceptance and depth.