The Sonnets of William Shakespeare a cycle of 154 linked poems were first published in 1609 Filled with ideas about love beauty & mortality the sonnets are written in the same beautiful & innovative language that we have come to know from Shakespeare's plays The first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man known as the ' Fair Youth' while others are directed at a ' Rival Poet' & a ' Dark Lady' This Macmillan Collector's Library edition contains all of the poems which explore many of Shakespeare's most common themes jealousy betrayal melancholy They ache with unfulfilled longing & for many they are the most complete & moving meditations on love ever written With an afterword by Peter Harness Designed to appeal to the booklover the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful special gift editions of much loved classic titles Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love & treasure