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Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets published in his ‘quarto’ in 1609, covering themes such as the passage of time, mortality, love, beauty, infidelity, and jealousy. The first 126 of Shakespeare’s sonnets are addressed to a young man, and the last 28 addressed to a woman – a mysterious ‘dark lady’.
Read Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ with an explanation and modern English translation, plus a video performance. The sonnet is possibly the most famous sonnet ever , and certainly one that has entered deeply into the consciousness of our culture.
Sonnet 116: Let Me Not To The Marriage Of True Minds. Shakespeare’s sonnet 116 can be seen as the definitive response to the ‘what is love’ question. The language of the sonnet is as deep and profound as any philosopher’s could be, expressed in the most beautiful language.
Read Shakespeare's sonnet 1 with a modern English translation: "From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty's rose might never die, But as the riper should by time decrease,
Sonnet 55 in modern English. Neither marble nor the gilded tombs of princes will outlive this powerful poetry, but you will shine more brightly in these pages than those neglected buildings that crumble to dust, besmirched by heartless time.
Sonnet 30 in modern English. When I summons the remembrance of past things to the court of sweet silent thought I regret not having achieved many of the things I strived for, and I add new tears to the old griefs, crying about the waste of my valuable time.
Put simply, iambic pentameter is a metrical speech rhythm that is natural to the English language. Shakespeare used iambic pentameter because it closely resembles the rhythm of everyday speech, and he no doubt wanted to imitate everyday speech in his plays.
Read Shakespeare's sonnet 29 in a modern English version: "How can I then return in happy plight, That am debarred the benefit of rest?
Sonnet 138: Translation to modern English. When my mistress swears that she speaks nothing but the truth I believe her so that she will think that I’m a naïve youth, ignorant of the complex ways of the world – even though I know she’s lying.
Read Shakespeare's sonnet 130 in modern English: My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; coral is far more than her lips are. If snow is white, all I can say is that her breasts are a brownish grey colour.