Shakespeare: The Sonnets

This introduction reflects the recent upsurge in academic interest in Shakespeare's non-dramatic verse. Part 1 adopts a thematic approach to the Sonnets, guiding students through detailed textual analyses. Part 2 provides a clear critical and contextual framework for interpreting the poems, examining the development and characteristics of sonnet form, humanist themes and early modern print culture, concluding with a survey of the critical history of the Sonnets.