This introduction provides a concise overview of the central issues and critical responses to Shakespeare’s sonnets, looking at the themes, images, and structure of his work, as well as the social and historical circumstances surrounding their creation.

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• Explores the biographical mystery of the identities of the characters addressed.
  
• Examines the intangible aspects of each sonnet, such as eroticism and imagination.
  
• A helpful appendix offers a summary of each poem with descriptions of key literary figures.