Not only were his plays mainly written in verse, but he also penned 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and a few other minor poems. Today he has become a symbol of poetry and writing internationally.

Shakespeare’s sonnets were composed between 1593 and 1601, though not published until 1609. That edition, The Sonnets of Shakespeare, consists of 154 sonnets, all written in the form of three quatrains and a couplet that is now recognized as Shakespearean.

Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays and over 150 short and long poems, many of which are considered to be the finest ever written in English.

Between about 1590 and 1613, Shakespeare wrote at least 37 plays and collaborated on several more. His 17 comedies include The Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing. Among his 10 history plays are Henry V and Richard III.

In Sonnet 18, Shakespeare compares the beloved’s beauty to a summer’s day, much to the beloved’s advantage. Although a summer’s day may be very bright and beautiful, it won’t last. Nor will the summer, for that matter. Like all the seasons, the summer will eventually fade away and die, to be replaced by another season.

verb (used with object), im·mor·tal·ized, im·mor·tal·iz·ing. to bestow unending fame upon; perpetuate. to make immortal; endow with immortality.

‘Thee’ refers to poet’s friend whose beauty is immortalized in this sonnet and gives him an eternal life through the ‘eternal lines’. As long as the world exists, this verse will give life to his friend’s exceptional beauty. And he will essentially live on forever through his poetry.

The phrase ‘summer’s lease’ means a short duration of time. The beauty of the summer will fade. Here Shakespeare builds the image of his friend by comparing his beauty to the summer. Thus the nature of summer sometimes becomes rough and cruel but the friend of the poet is mild, lovely and temperate. 6.