William Shakespeare - Sonnets

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) wrote his Sonnets around the end of XVI century when, because of the plague, all theatres were closed and his career as a playwright was obviously interrupted.

 The Sonnet genre was developed in Italy during the Middle Ages and reached its highest poetical form in the “Canzoniere” by Petrarch in 1330.

During the English Renaissance it became the most fashionable lyric genre and Shakespeare is undoubtedly its most representative and innovative poet.

His collection was published in 1609 and contains 154 sonnets which critics divide into two sections.

The former, from sonnet1 to 126, is dedicated to the “fair youth” a handsome and womanly vain young man, often highly idealized.

The remaining sonnets are dedicated to the “dark lady” the figure of a woman whose beauty is far away from the classical one, yet extremely charming.

Shakespeare describes her as “my female evil” talking about the sensual and realistic embodiment of a cruel and sometimes unfaithful love.

By the use of lyrical, confidential and sometimes ironical tones, Shakespeare explores themes like Love, Friendship, Beauty, Time elapsing, Death and Art.

 

His previous experience as a playwright had endowed him with a sound knowledge of human feelings, emotions and complexities of the soul.

For this reason his Sonnets and his later masterpieces are still highly appreciated and performed all over the world.

Francesca Marucco