Facts about Shakespeare Sonnets
- 06
In 1640, thirty years after Shakespeare's death, John Benson published a rearranged edition of the sonnets that grouped them thematically and altered pronouns to obscure references to the Fair Youth.
- 05
Sonnet 18, beginning 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day,' is among the most widely recognized poems in the entire Shakespeare Sonnets collection.
- 04
A so-called 'Dark Lady' is the subject of many of the later Shakespeare Sonnets, depicting a passionate but troubled romantic relationship.
- 03
Many of the Shakespeare Sonnets are addressed to a mysterious young man referred to as the 'Fair Youth,' whose true identity has never been confirmed.
- 02
Each of Shakespeare's Sonnets follows the English or Shakespearean sonnet form, comprising three quatrains and a concluding couplet in iambic pentameter.
- 01
The Shakespeare Sonnets collection consists of 154 sonnets, first published in 1609 by printer Thomas Thorpe.