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The Sonnets and Other Poems
by
William Shakespeare,
Jonathan Bate , Eric Rasmussen (Goodreads Author)
Shakespeare became famous as a dazzling poet before most people even knew that he wrote plays. His sonnets are the English language’s most extraordinary anatomy of love in all its dimensions–desire and despair, longing and loss, adoration and disgust. To read them is to confront morality and eternity in the same breath. Produced under the editorial supervision of Jonathan ...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
August 4th 2009
by Modern Library
(first published 1960)
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I haven't worked my way entirely through all the poems, but I was moved to start by remembering the very powerful and enigmatic effect the poem 'Let the Bird of Loudest Lay' exerted on me when I was beginning to explore literature. It was most interesting and rewarding to revisit the poem, assisted by the notes, and to read some of the others for the first time, such as 'The Rape of Lucrece' and the wonderfully overwrought 'Venus and Adonis'. I'm sharpening my poetry pickaxe and climbing the s...more
This isn't the exact edition I read, because that one was not one of the options given me, but it was an Oxford edition, so this is close enough. The content - the sonnets themselves - are what count.
I'm probably going to be pilloried for speaking sacrilege against THE GREAT ONE, but while the best of these poems rank among the great world classics in the form, Shakespeare is capable of writing dull -or at least less enthralling - poems as well. If I were counting only the 10-15 grea...more
I'm probably going to be pilloried for speaking sacrilege against THE GREAT ONE, but while the best of these poems rank among the great world classics in the form, Shakespeare is capable of writing dull -or at least less enthralling - poems as well. If I were counting only the 10-15 grea...more
This review is based on the sonnets only, which I had to read to count the classical allusions of all things. Burrow's edition has a stellar reputation, and having read the sonnets, his glosses, and his full and complete introduction, I agree with all the hype. This is the best edition of the sonnets that I have read or can imagine. Thoroughly informed and informative, the sonnet pages are all that you can hope for. I look forward to reviewing other portions of Burrow's fine edition someday.
I read these sonnets from the perspective of book history. However, the recurrent themes of immortality and time are interesting from the perspective of how Shakespeare might have given his consent to have these sonnets published. Of course, there are many conflicting theories about how these poems came to be and to whom they were written. Perhaps Shakespeare did not write these for any particular person, but rather, to secure his own immortality through his poetry.
Reading The Rape of Lucrece
I remembered this as being less immediate than 'Venus and Adonis'. I felt it was much more 'classical' and more austere. This time around I was struck by the powerful narrative and especially by the vividness of the workings of the minds of Lucrece and Tarquin.
I was very happy to have the chance to encounter this again.
I remembered this as being less immediate than 'Venus and Adonis'. I felt it was much more 'classical' and more austere. This time around I was struck by the powerful narrative and especially by the vividness of the workings of the minds of Lucrece and Tarquin.
I was very happy to have the chance to encounter this again.
I never thought much about Shakespeare, or really tried to investigate his writing beyond the plays I was forced to read, which is a shame. His sonnets are lovely, and some of them are supremely clever. I love the inversions in sonnet 130, for example, and the sting in the tail of sonnet 18, "shall I compare thee to a summer's day"...
I like the plays, I understand them. I just couldn't do this. I'm not a poet and I have not the talent in the field of old English either. I shant be bothered by such ridiculous devianceies.
I'll stick to your stories Will.
I'll stick to your stories Will.
The complete works of Shakespeare (including all the plays, sonnets and poems) are available free to read/download/print here:
http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/
a thick volume filled with massive information and notes. suitable for professional use, than commons' fun reading including myself.
Well, I would have really loved if I were not so poorly educated in poetry generally and literature of this period specificly.
I'm not sure that I've actually read *all* of the sonnets, but I have read many of them and all of the narrative poems.
This is a great book that has tons of bang to shakespeare!
a must after Oscar Wilde...
Very good.
None
JC-Sha
Can't read these enough! I just love them!
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I'd skimmed over the sonnets before without much interest, but the latest Folger edition places this in context of Shakespeare's life, establishes the consistency of the collection as a whole and makes them far more readable than I had thought.
This is a seriously wonderful edition--the glossing is actually quite helpful, and the introduction is thoroughly researched and wide-reaching in both its historical situating of the poems as well as the elements at work in the poems.
Reall amazing texture and layers. Double and triple-word play. You can mine new gem out of any one of these sonnets with every read. I loved it.
I always fall on these when I'm inbetween books. It helps to restore balance and give me new direction for my next liturature journey.
My plan is to read and make notes on one sonnet a day for 154 days.
(Thanks to Julia and Julia for the goal.)
(Thanks to Julia and Julia for the goal.)
There was a time when I memorized a good deal of Shakespeare. Just because.
8, 10, 23, 30, 90, 116, 138, 141
8, 10, 23, 30, 90, 116, 138, 141
I enjoyed reading these sonnets--I definitely enjoyed some of them more than others.
Beautiful and poignant writing. His sonnets are my favorites!
who rates shakespeare?! i'm too intimidated to touch this one.
These can easily put anyone in a good mood!
I didn't know that Shakespeare was a poet!!
ive read most of these.
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William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. Hi...more
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