The Love Poetry Of William Shakespeare: A treasure trove of love poems from the bard himself

Written by William Shakespeare

Narrated by David Shaw Parker

Despite William Shakespeare being regarded as the most significant figure in the Western literary canon, relatively little is known about his early life and his later ‘lost years’. Even the exact date of his birth is uncertain. 23rd April generally accepted to be the date of his birth, could be a scholarly mistake amplified by the coincidence of it also being the date of his death.

What is known for certain is that Shakespeare was born to middle class, but probably illiterate parents, John and Mary, in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1565 and baptised there on the 26th April. He was the third of eight children and the first and eldest surviving son of the remaining five.

It’s assumed he attended, King’s New School the nearby grammar school, but no records from the time still exist. However, information on the standardised curriculum that did exist, introduced the young Shakespeare to the disciplines of mathematics, Greek, law, classical history and Latin which greatly influenced his writing.

At 18, in some haste, he married Anne Hathaway, his senior by 8 years and pregnant with their first child Susanna who was to be followed by the twins, Hamnet and Judith. Little else is known until in 1590 Shakespeare probably comes to London as by 1592 he becomes relatively well known – first as an actor and then, of course, as a playwright despite some early criticism for having a writing style of his better educated contemporaries and not of his own lower status.

His iconic status now spans global literature and stems directly from the magnitude of his plays, both tragedies and comedies, and his poetry which is often cited as some of the greatest love poetry ever written. His legacy endures despite the passing of centuries.

William Shakespeare died at Stratford-upon-Avon on the April 23rd, 1616. He was 52.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Copyright Group
• Release date: May 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9781835477427

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, on England’s Avon River. When he was eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. The couple had three children—an older daughter Susanna and twins, Judith and Hamnet. Hamnet, Shakespeare’s only son, died in childhood. The bulk of Shakespeare’s working life was spent in the theater world of London, where he established himself professionally by the early 1590s. He enjoyed success not only as a playwright and poet, but also as an actor and shareholder in an acting company. Although some think that sometime between 1610 and 1613 Shakespeare retired from the theater and returned home to Stratford, where he died in 1616, others believe that he may have continued to work in London until close to his death.