Sonnet 127
In the old age black was not counted fair,
beauty
dark coloring
fashion
authenticity
In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slander'd with a bastard shame:
For since each hand hath put on nature's power,
Fairing the foul with art's false borrow'd face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bower,
But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.
Therefore my mistress' brows are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem:
Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,
That every tongue says beauty should look so.
What It Means
Shakespeare opens the Dark Lady sequence by claiming that, in ancient times, dark coloring was not considered beautiful. Now it is, but only because cosmetics have made fair coloring common. His mistress is genuinely dark — her eyes are dark, and they mourn it, as if they know the world will judge them wrongly. The black eyes are like mourners for those who stain beauty to fake it.
Context
Opens the Dark Lady sequence (127–152). The 'Dark Lady' is Shakespeare's unnamed mistress — dark-haired, dark-eyed, or dark-complexioned, depending on interpretation. Her identity remains unknown despite centuries of speculation.
Buy the Arden edition of the Sonnets on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate, ShakespeareGo earns from qualifying purchases.