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Shakespeare's Love Sonnets
The perfect gift for someone you love, an illustrated collection of love poems from the poet considered to be the greatest writer in the English language. Shakespeare’s sonnets are revered the world over for perfectly capturing the torments and joys of love requited or otherwise in just fourteen lines of iambic pentameter. This treasure of a book collects twenty-nine of the bard’s most romantic sonnets, each one lovingly illustrated by the talented Caitlin Keegan. Pretty and contemporary, the illustrations tastefully accentuate the depth of sentiment in each sonnet. A brilliant sun rises over the Sonnet 17 ( Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? ) and a graceful animal adorns the Sonnet 19 (Devouring time, blunt thou the lion s paws). A wonderful present for Valentine’s Day but appropriate for any spontaneous expression of love, this is an ideal, sophisticated gift for the legions of Shakespeare fans.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 21, 2011
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About the author
William Shakespeare
27.7k books47k followersWilliam Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 24, 2022
Beautiful illustrations!
December 27, 2024
i have read a lot of these over the years and i absolutely adore a lot of shakesey's sonnets so this was like a comfort read
December 20, 2023
But you shall shine more bright in these contentsOnly Shakespeare could turn “sluttish” into a classy adjective. Sometimes sensual, sometimes poignant, sometimes morose, sometimes downright thirsty, when it comes to exploring the multifaceted nature of romantic love in verse, Shakespeare’s always been the man.
Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time.
February 15, 2021
This is such a stunning edition of all of Shakespeare’s love sonnets and because I’m that extra, I thought it was a fitting read for this Day of Love. 💞
The illustrations really do add so much to these already lovely sonnets and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this!
The illustrations really do add so much to these already lovely sonnets and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this!
May 22, 2025
Trying to find the perfect love poem to read at my son's upcoming wedding, I turned to Shakespeare first. I couldn't find one that said exactly what I wanted it to say, however.
February 22, 2019
It was hard to comprehend but some of his concepts were really deep.
February 27, 2023
Beautiful. Bought the day my fiancé proposed so a gorgeous keepsake.
October 25, 2025
3.5: this book was definitely charming. if you're a fan of shakespeare, this will probably be a very enjoyable read for you! the illustrations definitely added on to the poems. to be be honest, i'm not very familiar with shakespeare, and from what i read in this anthology, his work (while high quality!) just doesn't seem to be my cup of tea. i feel as if this is just something which others will appreciate more than i will. personal taste and all that!
August 19, 2016
Being a fan of Shakespeare is no surprise. This book is a triple threat: it is poetry, written by Shakespeare and then intertwines illustrations by Ms. Keegan. With such a colorful backdrop to accompany the poems, it brings a familiar enthusiasm to this portion of Shakespeare's work and easily ignites the imagination. You'll enjoy the artwork and you'll be transported back to that first moment you discovered William Shakespeare.
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March 7, 2013Too much Greek mythology junk to enjoy. I think I'm going to gut it and make a journal out of it, maybe save some of the illustrations which are really pretty.
Sigh... It was a nice idea.
Sigh... It was a nice idea.
July 12, 2015
The illustrations are brill and of course Shakespeare's words themselves are quite fantastic!
January 19, 2015
A beautifully illustrated collection of some of Shakespeare's well known love sonnets.
January 19, 2015
XXIX,
XXX,
LVI,
LXXI,
CIV,
CVI,
CVII,
CXVI,
CXXVIII,
CXXX,
CXXXIX
XXX,
LVI,
LXXI,
CIV,
CVI,
CVII,
CXVI,
CXXVIII,
CXXX,
CXXXIX
February 8, 2015
Beautifully put together.
February 10, 2016
The illustrations make this the most beautiful copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets I've ever seen! A beautiful book to have and to give.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews