The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare’s Poetry

This Companion provides a full introduction to the poetry of William Shakespeare through discussion of his freestanding narrative poems, the Sonnets, and his plays. Fourteen leading international scholars provide accessible and authoritative chapters on all relevant topics: from Shakespeare’s seminal role in the development of English poetry, the wide-ranging practice of his poetic form, and his enigmatic place in print and manuscript culture, to his immersion in English Renaissance politics, religion, classicism, and gender dynamics. With individual chapters on Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, The Passionate Pilgrim, ‘The Phoenix and the Turtle’, the Sonnets, and A Lover’s Complaint, the Companion also includes chapters on the presence of poetry in the dramatic works, on the relation between poetry and performance, and on the reception and influence of the poems. The volume includes a chronology of Shakespeare’s life, a note on reference works, and a reading list for each chapter.

• Provides a comprehensive overview of the presence and topic of poetry in Shakespeare’s works, both his poems and his plays • Individual chapters are devoted to each of the freestanding poems including Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece, the Sonnets and A Lover’s Complaint • Recommended reading lists are provided at the end of each chapter

Chronology; Preface; Introduction: Shakespeare’s poetry in the twenty-first century Patrick Cheney; 1. Shakespeare and the development of English poetry William J. Kennedy; 2. Rhetoric, style, and poetic form John Roe; 3. Print and manuscript Lukas Erne; 4. Venus and Adonis Coppélia Kahn; 5. The Rape of Lucrece Catherine Belsey; 6. The Passionate Pilgrim and ‘The Phoenix and Turtle’ James P. Bednarz; 7. The Sonnets Michael Schoenfeldt; 8. A Lover’s Complaint Katherine Rowe; 9. Poetry, politics, and religion Andrew Hadfield; 10. Love, beauty, and sexuality Danielle Clarke; 11. Shakespeare and classicism Heather James; 12. Poetry in Shakespeare’s plays Patrick Cheney; 13. Poetry and performance David Schalkwyk; 14. Reception and influence Sasha Roberts; Reference works on Shakespeare’s poetry.