More Shakespeare's Sonnets
By Fox-Trot-9

Introduction

The following sonnet sequence is inspired by Shakespeare's Sonnets, which comprise of 154 sonnets written on several subjects ranging from procreation and loneliness to death and the transience of life. Since their first publication in 1609, the sonnets of Shakespeare have gained much recognition from several critics over the years to the present day, who eventually named the English sonnet after him (Shakespearian Sonnet), though Shakespeare wasn't the first practitioner of the form.

But far from being a mediocre sonneteer, Shakespeare's use of the sonnet was daring for his day. Though his sonnets followed the tradition of love, they were not like most other sonnet sequences of his day; whereas most sonnet sequences addressed the opposite sex, most of his sonnets are addressed to a beautiful aristocratic youth. Now I'm not saying that he's a homosexual or anything; I'll just leave it up to you guys if you want to read his sonnets. Also, Shakespeare's treatment of the opposite sex is a bit unusual for his time; whereas most sonnet sequences praise the worthiness of some unattainable beautiful woman of high or noble birth, Shakespeare isn't too flattering of the dark lady in his sonnets, often demeaning her looks and deploring her almost like a whore, though he's inextricably in love with her, bordering on lust and obsession. And far from being the great poet we imagine him to be, Shakespeare in his sonnets is plagued by rival poets that seem to hold the affections of the fair youth far more than he could with his sonnets, making him moody and even jealous. And adding to his troubles is a love triangle between he, the fair youth and the dark lady, in which the fair youth forsakes his fatherly love for the enticing allure of his former mistress.

In a word, Shakespeare in his sonnets paints a 16th century portrait a screwed up love life, in which nothing seems to go right for him. Does that sound familiar to any of you on this site? Essentially, that is what his sonnets are about—love is a rocky road. I know this, because I read them and experienced a few of love's mishaps myself.

Therefore, for those of you who have read Shakespeare's Sonnets, consider More Shakespeare's Sonnets as a continuation of the former. And for those of you who haven't read them before, don't worry. You need not have read the former to appreciate these new sonnets presented here. Just sit back, relax and enjoy.

—Fox-Trot-9

Table of Contents

Prologue: To Timid Poets 1-4
Prologue: Dedication to Shakespeare

Sonnet 1: The Poet
 (To Death: Acrostic)
Sonnets 2-3: The Poet (To the Reader 1-2)
Sonnets 4-11: The Poet (Introduction 1-8)
Sonnets 12-38: The Poet (Inspiration 1-27)
Sonnets 39-42: The Poet (Poetry of Earth: Acrostic 1-4)

Sonnets 43-49: Interlude 1 (Crown of Sonnets 1-7)

Sonnets 50-51: Fair Youth (To the Reader 1-2)
Sonnets 52-66: Fair Youth (Guilt 1-15)

Sonnets 67-73: Interlude 2 (Crown of Sonnets 1-7)

Sonnets 74-89: The Poet (Admonishments 1-16)
Sonnets 90-110: Fair Youth (Faults 1-21)
Sonnets 111-114: Fair Youth (Names Ignoble: Acrostic 1-4)

Sonnets 115-121: Interlude 3 (Crown of Sonnets 1-7) (brainstorming)

Sonnets 122-123: Dark Lady (To the Reader 1-2) (brainstorming)
Sonnets 124-?: Dark Lady () (brainstorming)

Sonnet #: The Poet (Devotion #)

(To be continued...)

A/N: The Shakespearean Sonnet employs the following rhyme scheme: abab-cdcd-efef-gg and is written in iambic pentameter which goes like this: da-dum—da-dum—da-dum—da-dum—da-dum, with some variation allocated to the poet.