{"product_id":"the-sonnets","title":"The Sonnets","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” The most famous love poems in the English language—and also the most mysterious.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare's sonnets are a sequence of 154 poems that have fascinated readers for four centuries. They are love poems, but not the simple kind. They are addressed to a beautiful young man, a dark-haired mistress, and a rival poet. They explore jealousy, desire, betrayal, and the relentless passage of time. They argue that poetry can make beauty immortal—and then they question whether beauty is worth preserving at all.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe first 126 sonnets are addressed to the \"Fair Youth,\" a young man of extraordinary beauty whom the speaker loves, admires, and sometimes resents. Sonnet 18 (\"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?\") promises that the young man will live forever in these lines. But later sonnets are darker: the speaker is rejected, betrayed, and consumed by lust. The final 28 sonnets are addressed to the \"Dark Lady,\" a woman who is not beautiful by conventional standards—but whom the speaker cannot resist. She is unfaithful. He is unfaithful. The sonnets end not with resolution but with a confession of helpless desire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is Shakespeare at his most intimate and elusive: a sequence of poems that feel like confessions—but may be pure fiction. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Sonnets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e have inspired countless readers, from Wordsworth to Oscar Wilde to the present day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFirst published in 1609, probably without Shakespeare's permission\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDedicated to “Mr. W.H.,” whose identity remains one of literature's great mysteries\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIncludes some of the most famous lines in English poetry: “Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?” “Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments,” “My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun”\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 love is never as simple as the poems pretend.\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 Sonnets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e were written over a period of several years, probably in the 1590s, but were not published until 1609. The publisher was Thomas Thorpe, who included a mysterious dedication: \"To the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets, Mr. W.H.\" The identity of \"Mr. W.H.\"—and the question of whether the sonnets are autobiographical—has been debated for centuries. Candidates include Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton (Shakespeare's patron), William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, and a mysterious young actor named William Hughes. The sonnets were not widely read until the 18th century, but are now considered among the greatest poems in the English language. 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\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Tempest\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":54423310401908,"sku":null,"price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":54423310434676,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":54423310467444,"sku":null,"price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":54423310500212,"sku":"9612921003278","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0988\/5561\/6884\/files\/casa-carlini-simple-audiobook-the-sonnets-53566708875636.png?v=1779965666","url":"https:\/\/casacarlini.com\/products\/the-sonnets","provider":"Casa Carlini","version":"1.0","type":"link"}