This poem in general speaks about the beauty of his mistress. Using color black in the view of the culture/society as a comparison to her beauty. Shakespeare's poem structure is that every other stanza rhymes (forgot the proper term) and each line is fairly simple to understand. Though I am not a professional writer, nor do I write poems, I found this poem to be one of the easiest to read and follow through.
As for a personal response to the poetry packet, I feel as though I have an under-appreciation toward the entire concept. Poetry, theater, art, and other various forms of writing/acting seem to be a privilege among developed countries. People such as Shakespeare may be able to provide "masterpiece" poetry, but this action in its entirety does not do anything to help solve real world issues. It's more of a leisure activity rather than tangible activity. I suppose this is why I have my under-appreciation toward theater/poetry/writing but hopefully this viewpoint will be adjusted for better or for worse.
