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Introduction to the Sonnets
Few collections of poems—indeed, few literary works in general—intrigue, challenge, tantalize, and reward as do Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Almost all of them love poems, the Sonnets philosophize, celebrate, attack, plead, and express pain, longing, and despair, all in a tone of voice that rarely rises above a reflective murmur, all spoken as if in an inner monologue or dialogue, and all within the tight structure of the English sonnet form.
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The Folger Shakespeare
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Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
—Sonnet 18, lines 1–4
When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her though I know she lies
—Sonnet 138, lines 1–2
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Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Learn more about Shakespeare, his Sonnets, their language, and their history from the experts behind our edition.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
About Shakespeare’s Sonnets
An introduction to the themes and interpretations of the Sonnets
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and poetic techniques
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Excerpt: "Shakespeare without a Life" by Margreta de Grazia
Shakespeare and Beyond
Excerpt: "Shakespeare without a Life" by Margreta de Grazia
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Shakespeare & Beyond
Did Shakespeare give much thought to how his works would survive after his death? Margreta de Grazia argues that his sonnets show he did.
Billy Collins on Writing Short Poems and Reading Shakespeare's Sonnets
Shakespeare Unlimited
Billy Collins on Writing Short Poems and Reading Shakespeare's Sonnets
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Poet Billy Collins talks about humanizing Shakespeare and other literary titans, delves into his own work and inspirations, and reads from his new collection, Musical Tables.
Order It: Sonnet 29
Shakespeare and Beyond
Order It: Sonnet 29
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Shakespeare & Beyond
Sonnet 29 (“When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes”) is a famous example of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Try our quiz to see if you can put its lines in order.
Shakespeare's Sonnets in the Folger's Collection
Folger Spotlight
Shakespeare's Sonnets in the Folger's Collection
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Folger Theatre
Assistant Curator of Collections Elizabeth deBold shares items related to Shakespeare’s sonnets, part of a presentation preceding the October 5 poetry reading with Diane Seuss and t’ai freedom ford.
All the Sonnets of Shakespeare, with Paul Edmondson
Shakespeare Unlimited
All the Sonnets of Shakespeare, with Paul Edmondson
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Shakespeare Unlimited: Episode 167 Over 400 years after Shakespeare’s sonnets were first published in 1609, what is left to learn? All the Sonnets of Shakespeare, a new edition of the sonnets published in 2020, takes some bold steps to help…
Order It: Sonnet 98
Shakespeare and Beyond
Order It: Sonnet 98
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Shakespeare & Beyond
It’s springtime, and Sonnet 98 is a wonderful seasonal selection from Shakespeare. Take this quiz to see if you can put the sonnet’s 14 lines into their correct order.
Teaching Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Use the Folger Method to teach Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
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The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
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The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
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Sonnets & Social Justice
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Sonnet Performances: Shakespeare’s Sonnets as Scripts
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Sonnet Performances: Shakespeare’s Sonnets as Scripts
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Shakespeare’s Sisters and Modern Sonnets
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Shakespeare’s Sisters and Modern Sonnets
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Spenser, Shakespeare, and the Blazon
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Spenser, Shakespeare, and the Blazon
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Easing into Shakespeare with Edna St. Vincent Millay’s, “What My Lips Have Kissed, And Where And Why”
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Easing into Shakespeare with Edna St. Vincent Millay’s, “What My Lips Have Kissed, And Where And Why”
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Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138: A Close Reading Module
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Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138: A Close Reading Module
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The English Sonnet: Michael Drayton
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The English Sonnet: Michael Drayton
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Petrarch, Father of the Sonnet
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Petrarch, Father of the Sonnet
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Choral Reading: Sonnet 18
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Choral Reading: Sonnet 18
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Writing a Group Sonnet: Shakespeare’s Sonnets
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Writing a Group Sonnet: Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Writing a group sonnet is a collaborative learning exercise--and is also noisy and fun!
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Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick” and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43
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Juicy Lesson! Choral Reading Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick” and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43
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Group Scenes: Shakespeare’s Sonnets
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Group Scenes: Shakespeare’s Sonnets
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Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick”
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Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trick”
Choral Reading with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 43 and Imtiaz Dharker’s “The Trickâ€
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Shakespeare Sonnets in the Classroom
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Shakespeare Sonnets in the Classroom
Why--and how--should students read Shakespeare's sonnets in class?
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Early printed texts
Shakespeare’s Sonnets were first printed in 1609 in a quarto published by Thomas Thorpe. That edition is generally considered the authoritative text, and modern editors usually follow it as their source. Two of the poems in the 1609 sonnets (Sonnets 138 and 144) were published in the 1599 collectionThe Passionate Pilgrim; although the entire volume was attributed to Shakespeare, the collection is in fact a miscellany of poems by different authors. Some scholars, however, believe that the two sonnets by Shakespeare in that volume represent versions closer to Shakespeare’s manuscript than the 1609 versions. The sonnets were republished in 1640 by John Benson in a form very different from the 1609 collection, including a different order and individually titled poems. The Folger edition of the sonnets, like that of other modern editions, follows the 1609 text.
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