In Act 1, Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet , Romeo does not actually compare Juliet to anything because he has not yet met her. At this point in the play, Romeo is lovesick over Rosaline, not Juliet
. However, when Romeo first sees Juliet later in the play (Act 1, Scene 5), he compares her to light and brightness, using poetic imagery. He describes Juliet as generating a light so radiant that it outshines everything else, often likened to a jewel or the sun
. In Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo famously compares Juliet to the sun, saying she is far more beautiful than the moon it banishes, and also compares her to a bright angel and her eyes to stars
. Thus, in Scene 1 of Act 1, Romeo is not yet comparing Juliet to anything because she is not introduced until later scenes. The comparisons of Juliet to the sun, a jewel, and an angel occur after their first meeting, notably in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 2.
