Reading the sonnets was an entirely different experience than I had anticipated. I often had to re-read a poem three or four times before the meaning finally revealed itself. That wasn't the unexpected part, however. I was surprised by the similarity of the sonnets. For example, at least ten of the first sonnets deal solely with trying to convince a beautiful young man that he should have children in order to ensure that his beauty never dies. Sometimes, it was like, "Okay, Will, I GET IT, the guy is beautiful. Next." But his skill with words was a constant delight. I've always been a big Shakespeare fan. Reading the poems was a different experience yet again. I really enjoyed the long form, like a hybrid of the sonnets and Shakespeare's plays. I preferred the rhyme scheme of Venus and Adonis; it just flowed so beautifully. But the subject matter of both poems was a bit uncomfortable for me, since they both deal with seduction of unwilling participants, though obviously one more explicitly than the other (though it is entitled simply Lucrece in this book, the poem is actually called The Rape of Lucrece).
It would be rather silly of me to review these Shakespearean poems. The language is magnificent, and I don't really get involved in the 'shadiness' of the Fair Youth. It's enough that I've had the joy of reading these eloquent demonstrations of love and yearning, one of those a-ha confirmations of life's beauty.This specific volume is an oldie, being printed in 1901. I have almost killed it, resulting in bookcover surgery. The publishers included a lovely little glossary plus a preface to each work and fitted the book to smaller dimensions. A gem.Book Season = Year Round (words are easy like the wind)
