Shakespeare's sonnets

Shakespeare's sonnets comprise a collection of 154 poems in sonnet form that deal with such themes as love, beauty, politics, and mortality. All but two first appeared in a 1609 collection; numbers 138 ("When my love swears that she is made of truth") and 144 ("Two loves have I, of comfort and despair") had previously been published in a 1599 miscellany titled The Passionate Pilgrim.

Related Topics:
Shakespeare - Poem - Sonnet - 1609 - 1599

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The sonnets were published under conditions that have become unclear to history. For example, there is a mysterious dedication at the beginning of the text wherein a certain "Mr. W. H." is mentioned as "the begetter" of the poems by the publisher Thomas Thorpe, but it is not known who this man was. Also, although the works were written by William Shakespeare, is not known if the publisher used an authorized manuscript from him, or an unauthorized copy. The poems were probably written over a period of several years.

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