Shakespeare's timeless sonnets, which describe love in all its aspects, represent one of the finest bodies of poetry ever penned. They include the star-struck Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?), the witty Sonnet 103 (My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun), the despairing yet hopeful Sonnet 29 (When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state) and more. As read by the legendary Sir John Gielgud - perhaps the greatest contemporary interpreter of the Bard - the sonnets in this selection come alive with all the passion and profound human insight of their brilliant creator.
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"A new literary project - to learn all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets by heart. Yes, it's both ridiculous and ambitious. And it's gonna take 3 years.Sonnets 18, 29, 116, 109, 87, 147, 94, 130, 129, 43 all in the bag.120 up next. " — Alex (5 out of 5 stars)
"A new literary project - to learn all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets by heart. Yes, it's both ridiculous and ambitious. And it's gonna take 3 years.Sonnets 18, 29, 116, 109, 87, 147, 94, 130, 129, 43 all in the bag.120 up next. "
" my favorite sonnets are 18, 28, 30, 46, 80, and 141. every single work is beautiful and truly meaningful. william shakespeare is a genius. "
" Shakespeare; that is all. "
" Sonnet 116 is one of the most clever, and moving, pieces I have ever read. "
" you want to make it with the ladies? read this book till you can recite it from memory. "
" Never been a big fan of shakespeare...reading this as prep for Literature CLEP test...:) "
" Supreme. Poetry at its' deepest hardcore! "
" The sonnets are, of course, gorgeous and incredible - that doesn't change no matter what edition you read.The annotations, however, do make a difference, and in the Arden sonnets they are excellent: "
" this is a great read for everyone! "
" my love is as a fever "
" He really liked to use the word love. It is interesting how he says that fire rhymes with desire.A lot of references on performance and plays too.He probably doesn't care about food. "
" Nobody writes poetry like this anymore. (Except for that guy who tried to ask me out by writing me poetry like this, and I thought he was a freak, so maybe I should eat my own words.) "
" Anyone who loves English literature needs to read a good, critical edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets (I suggest the edition edited by Stephen Booth). "
" The sonnets of William Shakespeare were inspiring, poetic, witty, and romantic. Four and a half stars. "
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and dramatist of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period, is the most widely known author in all of English literature and often considered the greatest. He was an active member of a theater company for at least twenty years, during which time he wrote many great plays. Plays were not prized as literature at the time and Shakespeare was not widely read until the middle of the eighteenth century, when a great upsurge of interest in his works began that continues today.
Sir John Gielgud (1904–2000) is arguably the greatest Shakespearean actor of the twentieth century and one of the best overall actors of his generation. His theatrical career spanned more than sixty years, beginning with a role in the London production of The Constant Nymph and ending with Sir Sydney Cockerell: The Best of Friends in 1988. His film career spanned more than seventy years and saw him in such roles as the Pope in Elizabeth, Priam in Hamlet, Professor of Sunlight in Gulliver’s Travels, and Master of Trinity in Chariots of Fire.
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