The Sonnets [Paperback]

The Signet Classic Shakespeare Series—the work of the world’s greatest dramatist edited by outstanding scholars

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun”—these are some of the most famous lines in all of literature. Originally published in 1609, here are the Bard’s 154 sonnets which cover themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty, and mortality. 

This title in the Signet Classics Shakespeare series includes:

• An overview of William Shakespeare’s life, world, and sonnets
• A special introduction to the sonnets by W. H. Auden
• Literary criticism from William Empson, Hallett Smith, Winifred M. T. Nowottny, and Helen Vendler
• Detailed footnotes at the bottom of each page of the sonnets
• Text, notes, and commentaries printed in the clearest, most readable format
• Recommended readingsThe Sonnets - William Shakespeare Edited by William Burto with an Introduction by W. H. Auden

Shakespeare: An Overview
Biographical Sketch
A Note on the Anti-Stratfordians, Especially Baconians and Oxfordians
The Shakespeare Canon
Shakespeare's English
The Sonnets
Introduction
The Sonnets
Textual Note
Commentaries
William Empson: They That Have Power
Hallett Smith: From Elizabethan Poetry
Winifred M. T. Nowottny: Formal Elements in Shakespeare's Sonnets: Sonnets 1-6
Helen Vendler: Sonnet 116

Suggested References
Index of First Lines

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