Shakespeare's Sonnets

Listen to Royal Shakespeare Company actress, Claire Marchionne, reading the sonnets. A few are read by myself, Shaun MacLoughlin.

In Preparation (so far only sonnets 1 to 80 are live)

With comments by: W. H. Auden, John Barton, Melvyn Bragg, Robert Browning, Anthony Burgess, Colin Burrow, John Keats, John Kerrigan, Peter Levi, Gary O'Connor, Stanley Wells and William Wordsworth. And many backgrounds to the sonnets.

Click on the sonnets to read and listen
Sonnets by number
Sonnets by first line
Sonnet 1: From fairest creatures we desire increase,
A woman's face with nature's own hand painted (20)
Sonnet 2: When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
Accuse me thus, that I have scanted all (117)
Sonnet 3: Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest
Against my love shall be as I am now (63)
Sonnet 4: Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend
Against that time - if ever that time come (49)
Sonnet 5: Those hours, that with gentle work did frame
Ah! wherefore with infection should he live, (67)
Sonnet 6: Then let not winter's ragged hand deface,
Alack, what poverty my Muse brings forth (103)
Sonnet 7: Lo! in the orient when the gracious light
Alas, 'tis true, I have gone here and there (110)
Sonnet 8: Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?
As a decrepit father takes delight (37)
Sonnet 9: Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye
As an unperfect actor on the stage (23)
Sonnet 10: For shame! deny that thou bear'st love to any,
As fast as though shalt wane, so shalt thou grow'st (11)
Sonnet 11: As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow'st,
Be wise as thou art cruel; do not press (140)
Sonnet 12: When I do count the clock that tells the time,
Being your slave what should I do but tend (57)
Sonnet 13: O! that you were your self; but, love you are
Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan (133)
Sonnet 14: Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;
Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took (47)
Sonnet 15: When I consider every thing that grows
But be contented: when that fell arrest (74)
Sonnet 16: But wherefore do not you a mightier way
But do thy worst to steal thyself away (92)
Sonnet 17: Who will believe my verse in time to come,
But wherefore do not you a mightier way (16)
Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?;
Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not (149)
Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,
Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep (153)
Sonnet 20: A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,
Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paw (19)
Sonnet 21: So is it not with me as with that Muse,
Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing (87)
Sonnet 22: My glass shall not persuade me I am old
For shame deny that thou bear'st love to any (10)
Sonnet 23: As an unperfect actor on the stage
From fairest creatures we desire increase (1)
Sonnet 24: Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath stell'd
From you have I been absent in the spring (98)
Sonnet 25: Let those who are in favour with their stars
Full many a glorious morning have I seen (33)
Sonnet 26: Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage
How can I then return in happy plight (28)
Sonnet 27: Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
How can my muse want subject to invent (38)
Sonnet 28: How can I then return in happy plight,
How careful was I, when I took my way (48)
Sonnet 29When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes:
How heavy do I journey on the way (50)
Sonnet 30: When to the sessions of sweet silent thought
How like a winter hath my absence been (97)
Sonnet 31: Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts,
How oft when thou, my music, music play'st (128)
Sonnet 32: If thou survive my well-contented day
How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame (95)
Sonnet 33: Full many a glorious morning have I seen
I grant thou wert not married to my muse (82)
Sonnet 34: Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day
I never saw that you did painting need (83)
Sonnet 35: No more be grieved at that which thou hast done
If my dear love were but the child of state (124)
Sonnet 36: Let me confess that we two must be twain,
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought (44)
Sonnet 37: As a decrepit father takes delight
If there be nothing new, but that which is (59)
Sonnet 38: How can my muse want subject to invent,
If thou survive my well-contented day (32)
Sonnet 39: O! how thy worth with manners may I sing,
If thy soul check thee that I come so near (136)
Sonnet 39: O! how thy worth with manners may I sing,
In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes (141)
Sonnet 40: Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all;
In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn (152)
Sonnet 41: Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits,
In the old age black was not counted fair (127)
Sonnet 42: That thou hast her it is not all my grief,
Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye (9)
Sonnet 43: When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see
Is it thy will, thy image should keep open (61)
Sonnet 44: If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Let me confess that we two must be twain (36)
Sonnet 45: The other two, slight air, and purging fire
Let me not to the marriage of true minds (116)
Sonnet 46: Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war
Let not my love be call'd idolatry (105)
Sonnet 47:Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took
Let those who are in favour with their stars (25)
Sonnet 48: How careful was I when I took my way
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore (60)
Sonnet 49: Against that time, if ever that time come,
Like as, to make our appetite more keen (118)
Sonnet 50: How heavy do I journey on the way,
Lo, as a careful housewife runs to catch (143)
Sonnet 51: Thus can my love excuse the slow offence
Look in thy glass, and tell the face thou seest (3)
Sonnet 52: So am I as the rich, whose blessed key
Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage (26)
Sonnet 53: What is your substance, whereof are you made
Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate (142)
Sonnet 54: O! how much more doth beauty beauteous seem
Love is too young to know what conscience is (151)
Sonnet 55: Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war (46)
Sonnet 56: Sweet love, renew thy force; be it not said
Mine eye hath play'd the painter and hath stell'd (24)
Sonnet 57: Being your slave what should I do but tend
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly? (8)
Sonnet 58: That god forbid, that made me first your slave,
My glass shall not persuade me I am old (22)
Sonnet 59:If there be nothing new, but that which is
My love is as a fever longing still (147)
Sonnet 60: Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore
My love is strengthen'd, though more weak in seeming (102)
Sonnet 61: Is it thy will, thy image should keep open
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (130)
Sonnet 62: Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye
My tongue-tied Muse in manners holds her still (85)
Sonnet 63: Against my love shall be as I am now,
No longer mourn for me when I am dead (71)
Sonnet 64: When I have seen by Time's fell hand defac'd
No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change (123)
Sonnet 65: Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck (14)
Sonnet 66: Tired with all these, for restful death I cry
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments (55)
Sonnet 67: Ah! wherefore with infection should he live
No longer mourn for me when I am dead (71)
Sonnet 68: Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn
No, Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change (123)
Sonnet 69: Those parts of thee that the world's eye doth view
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck (14)
Sonnet 70: That thou art blam'd shall not be thy defect,
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments (55)
Sonnet 71: No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul (107)
Sonnet 72: O! lest the world should task you to recite
O! call not me to justify the wrong (139)
Sonnet 73: That time of year thou mayst in me behold
O! for my sake do you with Fortune chide (111)
Sonnet 74: But be contented: when that fell arrest
O! from what power hast thou this powerful might (150)
Sonnet 75: So are you to my thoughts as food to life
O! how much more doth beauty beauteous seem (54)
Sonnet 76: Why is my verse so barren of new pride
O! how thy worth with manners may I sing (39)
Sonnet 77: Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear
O! lest the world should task you to recite (72)
Sonnet 78: So oft have I invoked thee for my Muse
O me! what eyes hath Love put in my head (148)
Sonnet 79: Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid,
O! never say that I was false of heart (109)
Sonnet 80: O! how I faint when I of you do write
O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power (126)
Siegfried Sassoon
Gerard Manley Hopkins
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