Shakespeare's Sonnets - Softcover

Shakespeare, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014600373X ISBN 13: 9780146003738

Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1999

Synopsis

Shakespeare's Sonnets have caused endless debate and speculation: who is the dark lady, who is the 'only begetter'; and what light do the poems shed on the life of the poet? Yet the sonnets themselves can be enjoyed for their lyricism rather than their intention.

Written as a form of personal confession - of love, of grief, of anger, of jealousy and of lust - the sonnets encompass a huge range of human emotion beautifully expressed within the restrictions of the form. Some, such as 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' or 'Let me not to the marriage of true minds' will be instantly familiar to readers, while others, equally rich in imagery, are less well known. Together they form a powerful meditation on the nature of love, marriage, beauty and time.

About this title

About the Author:

William Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), many of which are regarded as the most exceptional works of drama ever produced, including Romeo and Juliet (1595), Henry V (1599), Hamlet (1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1606) and Macbeth (1606), as well as a collection of 154 sonnets, which number among the most profound and influential love poetry in English. Shakespeare died in Stratford in 1616.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 014600373X
• ISBN 13: 9780146003738
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160