William Shakespeare c b. Stratford-upon- Avon, England Playwright, Poet, Actor Most famous for his plays All but 2 of his 154 sonnets were published in 1609
Shakespearean Sonnets 1609: Quarto only source of most 152 Shakespearean Sonnets. There are 3 categories of poems in this Quarto: are addressed to The Fair Youth are addressed to The Dark Mistress A Lover’s Complaint a 329 line poem written in Rhyme Royal
Shakespeare’s Addressees The Fair Youth (sonnets 1-126) An unnamed young man Written to in loving and romantic language Theories of man’s identity: some think this may be a homosexual lover, a platonic or father-son love, or a patron (sponsor) The Dark Lady (sonnets ) Given this name because of she is described as being dark haired The sonnets written about her express infatuation and are more sexual in nature
Shakespearean Sonnet Form Still 14 lines Broken into 4 parts 3 quatrains 1 rhyming couplet Written in iambic pentameter: ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / Shall I compare thee to a summer ’ s day?
Shakespearean Sonnet Form Rhyme Scheme: Quatrain 1: a b a b [introduces question] Quatrain 2: c d c d [tentative Quatrain 3: e f e f answers] Rhyming Couplet: g g [final answer] Volta: The turn or transition in line 9 which marks a shift in focus or thought