{"product_id":"the-phoenix-and-the-turtle","title":"The Phoenix and the Turtle","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLet the bird of loudest lay, on the sole Arabian tree, herald sad and trumpet be...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare's most mysterious poem is a lament for two lovers—a phoenix and a turtledove—whose perfect love destroys them and yet makes them immortal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn just 67 lines, Shakespeare composes an elegy for an impossible love. The phoenix is a legendary bird, unique and self-renewing. The turtledove is a symbol of constancy and devotion. They love each other with a purity that transcends identity: \"Two distincts, division none.\" But their love is so perfect that it cannot survive in a fallen world. They die. Their bodies burn. And a choir of mourning birds—the eagle, the swan, the crow—gathers to sing their funeral hymn. The poem ends with a \"threne\" (a funeral song) that declares: \"Truth may seem, but cannot be; \/ Beauty brag, but 'tis not she; \/ Truth and beauty buried be.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is Shakespeare at his most allegorical and obscure: a poem that has been interpreted as a commentary on Christian theology, on the ideal of Platonic love, on the death of Queen Elizabeth, or on the relationship between two real people whose identity has been lost to history. It is beautiful, baffling, and utterly unique.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirst published in 1601 as part of Robert Chester's collection \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLove's Martyr\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of Shakespeare's shortest and most difficult poems\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eT.S. Eliot called it “the most perfect short poem in English”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAvailable in multiple formats:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaperback \u0026amp; Hardcover:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEbook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAudiobook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears—or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the truest love is the one that leaves no trace but the song.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Shakespeare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Phoenix and the Turtle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was published in 1601 as part of Robert Chester's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLove's Martyr\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a collection of poems on the subject of the phoenix and the turtledove. Other contributors included Ben Jonson, George Chapman, and John Marston. Shakespeare's contribution stands out for its density, its musicality, and its profound ambiguity. The identity of the \"turtle\" (turtledove) and \"phoenix\" has been debated for centuries; candidates include Queen Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex, or John Donne and his wife. The poem was largely ignored until the 20th century, when it was championed by T.S. Eliot and other modernist poets. It remains one of Shakespeare's most beloved works among poets and scholars. Shakespeare's other major works include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHamlet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Tempest\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSonnets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Casa Carlini","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":54423664099700,"sku":null,"price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":54423664132468,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":54423664165236,"sku":null,"price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":54423664198004,"sku":null,"price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0988\/5561\/6884\/files\/casa-carlini-simple-audiobook-the-phoenix-and-the-turtle-53566708351348.png?v=1779965688","url":"https:\/\/casacarlini.com\/products\/the-phoenix-and-the-turtle","provider":"Casa Carlini","version":"1.0","type":"link"}