List of Shakespearean Sonnets

Shakespeare left behind 154 of the most wonderfully written sonnets. This list of Shakespearean Sonnets indexes them all with links to study guides and original texts. The list is broken down into three sections: The Fair Youth Sonnets, Dark Lady Sonnets, and the so-called Greek Sonnets. Fair Youth Sonnets (Sonnets 1 – 126) The first segment of Shakespeare’s sonnets has become known as the fair youth sonnets. The poet dotes on an attractive young man and believes that his beauty can be preserved through poetry. When the fair youth ages and eventually dies, his beauty will still be captured in the words of the sonnets listed below. This deep, loving friendship sometimes verges on a sexual infatuation, and the nature of the doting is open to debate. Perhaps it is a female speaker, evidence of Shakespeare’s homosexuality, or simply a close friendship.   1: From Fairest Creatures We Desire Increase 2: When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow 3: Look In Thy Glass, And Tell The Face Thou Viewest4:  Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend 5:  Those Hours, That With Gentle Work Did Frame6:  Then Let Not Winters Ragged Hand Deface7: Lo! In The Orient When The Gracious Light 8:  Music To Hear, Why Hearst Thou Music Sadly?9: Is It For Fear To Wet A Widows Eye10: For Shame Deny That Thou Bearst Love To Any11: As Fast As Thou Shalt Wane, So Fast Thou Grow 12:  When I Do Count The Clock That Tells Time13:  O! That You Were Your Self, Buy, Love, You Are14: Not From The Stars Do I My Judgement Pluck 15:  When I Consider Everything That Grows16:  But Wherefore Do Not You A Mightier Way17:  Who Will Believe In My Verse In Time To Come18: Shall I Compare Thee To A Summers Day? 19: Devouring Time, Blunt Thou The Lions Paw 20: A Womans Face With Natures Own Hand Painted21: So It Is Not With Me As With That Muse 22: My Glass Shall Not Persuade Me I Am Old 23:  As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage24: Mine Eye Hath Playd The Painter and Hath Steeld25:  Let Those Who Are In Favour With Their Stars26:  Lord Of My Love, To Whom In Vassalage27: Weary With Toil, I Haste To My Bed28: How Can I Then Return I Happy Plight29: When In Disgrace With Fortune and Mens Eyes30:  When To The Sessions Of Sweet Silent Thought31: Thy Bosom Is Endeared With All Hearts32: If Thou Survive My Well-Contented Day33:  Full Many A Glorious Morning I Have Seen34: Why Didst Thou Promise Such A Beauteous Day35:  No More Be Grieved At That Which Thou Hast Done36: Let Me Confess That We Two Must Be Twain37:  As A Decrepit Father Takes Delight38: How Can My Muse Want Subject To Invent39:  O! How Thy Worth With Manners May I Sing 40: Take All My Loves, My Love, Yea Take Them All41:  Those Pretty Wrongs That Liberty Commits42: That Thou Hast It Is Not All My Grief43: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See 44:  If The Dul l Substance Of My Flesh Were Thought45:  That Thou Hast It Is Not All My Grief46: Mine Eye And Heart Are At A Mortal War47: Betwixt Mine Eye And Heart A League Is Took48:  How Careful Was I When I Took My Way49: Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come50:  How Heavy Do I Journey On The Way51: Thus Can My Love Excuse The Slow Offence 52:  So Am I As The Rich, Whose Blessed Key53:  What Is Your Substance, Whereof Are You Made54:  O! How Much More Doth Beauty Beauteous Seem55:  O! Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments56: Sweet Love, Renew Thy Force; Be It Not Said57: Being Your Slave What Should I Do But Tend58:  That God Forbid, That Made Me First Your Slave59:  If There Be Nothing New, But That Which Is60:  Like As The Waves Make Towards The Pebbled Shore61: Is It Thy Will, Thy Image Should Keep Open62:  Sin Of Self-love Possesseth All Mine Eye63:  Against My Love Shall Be As I Am Now64:  When I Have Seen By Times Fell Hand Defacd65:  Since Brass, Nor Ston e, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea66:  Tired For All These, For restful Death I Cry67:  Ah! Wherefore With Infection Should He Live68:  In Days Long Since, Before These Last So Bad69:  Those Parts Of Thee That The Worlds Eye Doth View 70: That Thou Art Blamed Shall Not Be Thy Defect 71:  No Longer Mourn For Me When I Am Dead72:  O! Lest The World Should Task You To Recite73:  That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold74: But Be Contented When That Fell Arrest 75:  So Are You To My Thoughts As Food To Life76:  Why Is My Verse So Barren Of New Pride77: Thy Glass Will Show Thee How Thy Beauties Wear 78: So Oft Have I Invoked Thee For My Muse79: Whilst I Alone Did Call Upon Thy Aid 80: O! How I Faint When I Do Write Of You 81: Or I Shall Live Your Epitaph To Make 82: I Grant Thou Wert Not Married To My Muse 83: I Never Saw That You Did Painting Need 84: Who Is It That Says Most, Which Can Say More 85: My Tongue-Tied Muse In Manners Holds Her Still 86: Farewell! Thou Art To o Dear For My Possessing 87: Farewell! Thou Art Too Dear For My Possessing 88: When Thou Shalt Be Disposd To Set Me Light 89: Say That Thou Didst Forsake Me For Some Fault 90: Then Hate Me When Thou Wilt; If Ever, Now 91: Some Glory In Their Birth, Some In Their Skill 92: But Do Thy Worst To Steal Thyself Away 93: So Shall I Live, Supposing Thou Art True 94: They That Have Power To Hurt, And Will Do None95: How Sweet And Lovely Dost Thou Make The Shame 96: Some Say Thy Fault Is Youth, Some Wantonness 97: How Like A Winter Hath My Absence Been 98: From You Have I Been Absent In The Spring 99: The Forward Violet Thus Did I Chide 100: Where Art Thou, Muse, That Thou Forgetst So Long 101: O Truant Muse, What Shall Be Thy Amends 102: My Love Is Strengthend, Though More Weak In Seeming 103: Alack, What Poverty My Muse Brings Forth 104: To Me, Fair Friend, You Never Can Be Old 105: Let Not My Love Be Called Idolatry 106: When In The Chronicle Of Wasted Time 107: Not Mine Own Fears, Nor The Prophetic Soul108: Whats In The Brain That Ink May Character 109: O! Never Say That I Was False Of Heart 110: Alas! Tis True, I Have Gone Here And There111: O For My Sake Do You With Fortune Chide 112: Your Love And Pity Doth Th Impression Fill 113: Since I Left You, Mine Eye Is In My Mind 114: Or Whether Doth My Mind, Being Crowned With You 115: Those Lines That I Before Have Writ Do Lie 116: Let Me Not To The Marriage Of True Minds 117: Accuse Me Thus: That I Have Scanted All 118: Like As To Make Our Appetites More Keen 119: What Potions Have I Drunk Of Siren Tears 120: That You Were Once Unkind Befriends Me Now 121: Tis Better To Be Vile Than Vile Esteemed 122: Thy Gift, Thy Tables, Are Within My Brain 123: Thy Pyramids Built Up With Newer Might 124: If My Dear Love Were But The Child Of State 125: Weret Ought To Me I Bore The Canopy 126: O Thou, My Lovely Boy, Who In Thy Powr Dark Lady Sonnets (Sonnets 127 – 152) The second segment of Shakespeare’s sonnets has become known as the Dark Lady Sonnets. A mysterious woman enters the narrative in Sonnet 127, and immediately attracts the poet’s attention.   Unlike the fair youth, this woman is not physically beautiful. Her eyes are â€Å"raven black† and she is â€Å"not born fair†. She is described as evil, a temptress and a bad angel. All good reasons to earn a reputation as the dark lady. She is perhaps having an illicit affair with the fair youth, perhaps explaining the poet’s jealousy. Sonnet 127: In The Old Age Black Was Not Counted Fair Sonnet 128: How Oft When Thou, My Music, Music PlaystSonnet 129: Th Expense Of Spirit In A Waste Of Shame Sonnet 130: My Mistress Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun Sonnet 131: Thou Art As Tyrannous, So As Thou Art Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me Sonnet 133: Beshrew That Heart That Makes My Heart To Groan Sonnet 134: So Now I Have Confessed That He Is Thine Sonnet 135: Whoever Hath Her Wish, Thou Hast Thy Will Sonnet 136: If Thy Soul Check Thee That I Come So Near Sonnet 137: Thou Blind Fool, Love, What Dost Thou To Mine Eyes Sonnet 138: When My Love Swears That She Is Made Of Truth Sonnet 139: O! Call Not Me To Justify The Wrong Sonnet 140: Be Wise As Thou Art Cruel Sonnet 141: In Faith I Do Not Love You With Mine Eyes Sonnet 142: Love Is My Sin, And Thy Dear Virtue Hate Sonnet 143: Lo, As A Careful Housewife Runs To Catch Sonnet 144: Two Loves I Have Of Comfort And Despair Sonnet 145: Those Lips That Loves Own Hand Did Make Sonnet 146: Poor Soul, The Centre Of My Sinful Earth Sonnet 147: My Love Is As A Fever Longing Still Sonnet 148: O Me! What Eyes Hath Love Put In My Head Sonnet 149: Canst Thou, O Cruel! Say I Love Thee Not Sonnet 150: O! From What Power Hast Thou This Powerful Might Sonnet 151: Love Is Too Young To Know What Conscience Is Sonnet 152: In Loving Thee Thou Kowst I Am Forsworn The Greek Sonnets (Sonnets 153 and 154) The final two sonnets of the sequence are very different from the others. They move away from the narrative described above and instead draw upon ancient Greek myths. Sonnet 153: Cupid Laid by his Brand, and Fell AsleepSonnet 154: The Little Love-God Lying Once Asleep