Home > Sonnets Summary & Study Guide > Essays > Essays

• Study Guide
• Group

Sonnets | Essays

• Shakespeare and the Narrator of the Sonnets

  Essay discussing the narrator of the sonnets and the debate as to whether the narrator is Shakespeare himself. Examines clues within the sonnets themselves, and scholarly research.

• Common Difficulties in Understanding the Sonnets

  Essay examining common difficulties that readers have in understanding the sonnets. Discusses how to approach the sonnets as they convey thoughts and evoke emotional responses. Also touches on the cultural tradition of the sonnets.

• Shakespeare's Career as a "Sonneteer"

  Essay discussing the composition of the sonnets in the context of Shakespeare's life. Answers the question: Why did Shakespeare write the sonnets? Touches on how Shakespeare departed from the traditional sonnet style.

• Sonnets 74 and 64: A Comparitive Analysis

  A discussion of the common themes and elements in the two sonnets.

• Analysis of Sonnet #29

  An analysis of Sonnet #29: When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes

• A Comparitive Interpretation of Three Shakespearean Sonnets and the Wife of Bath's Tale

  Essay examining the common theme in Sonnets 18, 19, and 20 as compared to Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Tale.

Join eNotes

Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!

Navigate

1. Sonnets: Introduction
2. Sonnets: Narrative
3. Sonnets: Text of the Sonnets
   1. Sonnets 1-10
   2. Sonnets 11-21
   3. Sonnets 21-30
   4. Sonnets 31-40
   5. Sonnets 41-50
   6. Sonnets 51-60
   7. Sonnets 61-70
   8. Sonnets 71-80
   9. Sonnets 81-90
   10. Sonnets 91-100
   11. Sonnets 100-110
   12. Sonnets 111-120
   13. Sonnets 121-130
   14. Sonnets 131-140
   15. Sonnets 141-154
4. Sonnets: Background
5. Sonnets: Characters
6. Sonnets: Themes
7. Sonnets: Exemplary Sonnets
8. Sonnets: Critical Assessment
9. Sonnets: Character Analysis
10. Sonnets: Principal Topics
11. Sonnets: 20 Sonnets Analyzed
    1. Sonnet 1—From fairest creatures we desire increase
    2. Sonnet 6—Then let not winter's ragged hand deface
    3. Sonnet 18—Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
    4. Sonnet 19—Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws
    5. Sonnet 29—When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
    6. Sonnet 30—When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
    7. Sonnet 35—No more be grieved at that which thou hast done
    8. Sonnet 38—How can my muse want subject to invent
    9. Sonnet 55—Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
    10. Sonnet 60—Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore
    11. Sonnet 66—Tired with all these, for restful death I cry
    12. Sonnet 73—That time of year thou mayst in me behold
    13. Sonnet 76—Why is my verse so barren of new pride
    14. Sonnet 79—Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid
    15. Sonnet 91—Some glory in their birth, some in their skill
    16. Sonnet 106—When in the chronicle of wasted time
    17. Sonnet 116—Let me not to the marriage of true minds
    18. Sonnet 130—My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun
    19. Sonnet 138—When my love swears that she is made of truth
    20. Sonnet 147—My love is as a fever longing still
12. Sonnets: Essays
    1. Shakespeare and the Narrator of the Sonnets
    2. Common Difficulties in Understanding the Sonnets
    3. Shakespeare's Career as a "Sonneteer"
    4. Sonnets 74 and 64: A Comparitive Analysis
    5. Analysis of Sonnet #29
    6. A Comparitive Interpretation of Three Shakespearean Sonnets and the Wife of Bath's Tale
13. Sonnets: Criticism
    1. Time in the Sonnets
    2. Overview
    3. Themes in the Sonnets
    4. Narrative and Dramatic Elements
    5. Language and Imagery
    6. The Poet
    7. The Friend
    8. The Dark Lady
14. Sonnets: FAQs
    1. Why did Shakespeare use the sonnet cycle form?
    2. Who Is the "Young Man" addressed in the sonnets?
    3. Who Is the "Dark Lady" addressed in the sonnets?
    4. Do any of the sonnets depart from the standard Shakespearean sonnet form?
    5. What are the principal themes of the sonnets?
    6. Why do so many of the sonnets begin with a question?
15. Sonnets: Bibliography and Further Reading
16. Sonnets: Pictures
17. Copyright

Related Topics

1. William Shakespeare
2. Poetry

Tell a friend about Sonnets at eNotes.