Shakespeare's Sonnets - Made Clear
Do you fall into either of these two categories? This website is for you.
Here you will find the text of all the 154 Sonnets. Navigate to them through the Index.
Each Sonnet is illustrated with a modern photo or drawing. It won’t necessarily be literal. If the poem’s talking about travelling fast, for instance, there might be a picture of a jet plane. It’s to get you thinking.
You’ll also find a ROUGH paraphrase of the sonnet. Sometimes it's more a translation than a paraphrase.
Note on the Paraphrases
The paraphrases of the Sonnets here do NOT strictly follow the text. Please do not use them for word-by-word analysis. There are some very thorough websites already dedicated to this, and I do not intend to duplicate their effort.
This site is designed to bring the core meaning of each of the Sonnets straight to the modern reader. It’s thinking about what the Elizabethan is actually saying, rather than how it’s being said. You’ll find a lot of it startlingly up-to-date.
Once you’ve got the general drift, I’m hoping you’ll be encouraged to refer to other resources and get to know the poems much more intimately.
This site is designed to bring the core meaning of each of the Sonnets straight to the modern reader. It’s thinking about what the Elizabethan is actually saying, rather than how it’s being said. You’ll find a lot of it startlingly up-to-date.
Once you’ve got the general drift, I’m hoping you’ll be encouraged to refer to other resources and get to know the poems much more intimately.
Listening to the Sonnets
There’s nothing like hearing a text over and over again to help it seep into your understanding. Listening and reading at the same time has been shown to improve uptake of information dramatically.
You can download the full set of Sonnets right here. Pop them into your MP3 player and listen to a few on the train. Take three Sonnets with a cup of tea at break-time. It’s quite a unique method of relaxation.
It’s one of the cheapest recordings available to buy. Not only that, but there’s a large selection of samples for you to listen to beforehand. Click here to go to the recordings (accompanied by the text) of nearly 30 Sonnets.
(Please note that when you download the MP3s there will be no text – it’s audio only.)
You can download the full set of Sonnets right here. Pop them into your MP3 player and listen to a few on the train. Take three Sonnets with a cup of tea at break-time. It’s quite a unique method of relaxation.
It’s one of the cheapest recordings available to buy. Not only that, but there’s a large selection of samples for you to listen to beforehand. Click here to go to the recordings (accompanied by the text) of nearly 30 Sonnets.
(Please note that when you download the MP3s there will be no text – it’s audio only.)
General Notes on the Sonnets
Who were they to?
There are two main recipients. The first is the "man right fair" and the second is "the Dark Lady." The sequence is grouped thus:
1-17 - Addressed to a young man, encouraging him to get married and continue the family line.
18-126 - Addressed to the "man right fair", expressing the direct love and adoration of the poet.
126-152 - Addressed to the "Dark Lady", in a greatly contrasting tone of physical desire and often lewdness.
153-154 - An epilogue to the sequence, regarding a story about Cupid.
The first 126 sonnets are today mainly thought to have been written either to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, or to Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton. One piece of backing evidence for both of these is the notoriously ambiguous dedication on the Sonnets Quarto, which dedicates the sequence to "W.H.". Other arguments are as follows:
In favour of the William Herbert theory, it is strange that the first 17 sonnets in a sequence of such personal passion would encourage the young man to get married. However it has been suggested that they were commissioned by Herbert's mother, the Countess of Pembroke. Indeed arranged marriage negotiations were in progress at the time of Herbert's 17th birthday - which broke down. (Incidentally the proposed wife was Bridget Vere, the daughter of Edward De Vere who some think actually wrote all of Shakespeare's work). Herbert was later banished from the court for impregnating one of the Maids of Honour, Mary Fitton - who was also coincidentally well known to the Chamberlain's Men (Shakespeare's company) and is a candidate for the Dark Lady figure. Of course it is possible that the young man in Sonnets 1-17 are quite separate from that of 18-126, but again, we don't know.
Henry Wriothesley supporters note that Shakespeare's earlier poems "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece" were dedicated to the Earl of Southampton in the most fulsome terms. Also, Wriothesley was known for being extremely good looking. He was certainly a patron to Shakespeare at one point, whether he was more is beyond the scope of what we truly know.
In the latter stages, the Dark Lady makes an appearance, and apparently walks off with the affections of the earlier "man right fair", leading to some of the darkest poems in the collection.
There are also a few possibly written about Shakespeare’s own son, Hamnet (33, 34, 35, 55, 65).
In addition to these, some scholars maintain that there were also sonnets for the boy actors (20, 53 and 126), for even for the much-sidelined Mrs Shakespeare (145). How he had any time left over for her after all the other activity is a mystery.
However, though speculation abounds, no-one really knows. Some theories seem stronger than others, but you’ll have to make up your own mind. Trying to put together the pieces of the Sonnet collection puzzle is an integral part of their mystique and allure.
Browse, download, listen and enjoy!
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