“Sonnet 20,” is considered one of Shakespeare's most controversial sonnets in regard to the nature of the poem, often described as ambiguous. Subject to interpretation, the sonnet pushes some boundaries of the time in which it was written – a time when homosexuality was repressed and not generally accepted, making it particularly interesting to analyze. Shakespeare's innovative use of formal features such as rhythm and meter, stanza form and rhyme as well as the use of literary devices, imagery and symbolism, contribute powerfully to unraveling the plot of the sonnet which could have been Shakespeare openly revealing his love for a man. Shakespeare begins “Sonnet 20” with a description of the attractive, yet feminine, qualities possessed by the object of desire in question (perhaps his own). “A woman’s face painted by the hand of nature/Have you, the mistress mistress of my passion; » (1-2) This example of imagery tells how the "mistress mistress" has a face as beautiful as a woman's - "painted" like a work of art by Mother Nature herself, implying that the subject does not need to be made up. to enhance your complexion or perhaps a mask like some women do. This may suggest that Shakespeare believed that men can be just as attractive as women, but are truer and purer because they have nothing to hide and therefore make better partners than women. The use of the term "mistress mistress" indicates that the person is indeed a man and the powerful word "passion" implies that Shakespeare is sexually attracted to this man as this word has sexual connotations and shows the extent of the strength of his ailments. That being said, special emphasis could be placed on the word "Nature", because perhaps Shakespeare was not only referring to... middle of paper...... the love he possesses for this man will never be. perfect", because society forbids this love to be reciprocal and because of their sex, they do not fit together "perfectly". Shakespeare's clever use of trochaic inversion sees all the final syllables of each line unstressed, creating a feminine ending. This ties in with the description of his beloved having "feminine" qualities and the way he has slightly altered the natural form of iambic pentameter means he wishes to change people's opinions towards homosexuality and push back the limits of social norms. of the sonnet, the tone shifts from passionate to pessimistic. Shakespeare describes how the man he loves was originally meant to be born a woman, but Mother Nature, after falling in love, decided to make his love a man, thus shattering any hope of their love becoming a reality..