My motress eyes are nothing like the sun. red than her los' red. If you he when why then her brease we dun. a red and white, 5 her head. see in her cheeks. And in some pert unes is there more delight Than in the treath reeks Howe to hear her speak, yet mell know a for more pleasing sound My motress when the walks treach on the ground And yet, by beaven I think my love as race As any the belind with tahe compare Which characteristic of the poem best explains why it can be considered a satire? A tresents only regative atributes of an mistress. in cricire a social convention making exagerated praines of in C. I reles on literal language age instead of figurative C a fwent that gives the previous thes new meaning

The correct answer is **B. It uses humor to criticize a social convention.**<br /><br />Here's why:<br /><br />* **Satire's Purpose:** Satire uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize folly or vice, often with the intent of prompting social change. This poem does exactly that. It targets the conventional love poetry of the time, which often employed exaggerated comparisons and idealized portrayals of women.<br /><br />* **Undermining the Convention:** The poem satirizes the traditional love poem by deliberately using unflattering comparisons. The speaker states that his mistress's eyes are "nothing like the sun" and her lips are less red than coral. These comparisons directly contradict the typical flowery language used to praise a beloved's beauty. This subversion of expectations creates humor and highlights the absurdity of the conventional approach.<br /><br />* **Humor as a Tool:** The humor lies in the contrast between the expected praise and the delivered "insults." Lines like "If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun" are comically blunt and deflate the romantic ideal.<br /><br />Let's look at why the other options are incorrect:<br /><br />* **A. It presents only negative attitudes of an admired mistress.** While the poem uses unconventional descriptions, it doesn't solely present *negative* attitudes. The final couplet affirms the speaker's love for his mistress despite her not fitting the conventional beauty standards.<br /><br />* **C. It uses plain language instead of figurative language.** While the language is simpler than some traditional love poems, the poem still uses figures of speech like similes ("nothing like the sun"). The core of the satire isn't the lack of figurative language, but the *type* of comparisons used.<br /><br />* **D. It uses a twist that gives the previous lines new meaning.** While there's a degree of irony throughout, the poem doesn't rely on a single twist to change the meaning. The satirical intent is present from the very first line.<br />