William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright and poet from Stratford-upon-Avon, the author of nearly forty plays and of the 154 sonnets first printed together in 1609. His sonnets—fourteen lines of iambic pentameter in three quatrains and a closing couplet—turn on beauty, time, love, desire, jealousy, and the power of verse to outlast death, from “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” to “Let me not to the marriage of true minds.”
New to William Shakespeare? Start here: Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Where to Start
This is the complete collection: all 154 of William Shakespeare’s sonnets, from the Project Gutenberg edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, free to read.
Read a fuller life sketch on our About William Shakespeare page. This Poetry Catalog archive gathers 154 sonnets by Shakespeare now live on the site—listed in sonnet-number order below, with links to each full text. The texts follow the public domain Project Gutenberg edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
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William Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1–154)
- Sonnet 1: From Fairest Creatures We Desire Increase
- Sonnet 2: When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow
- Sonnet 3: Look In Thy Glass And Tell The Face Thou Viewest
- Sonnet 4: Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend
- Sonnet 5: Those Hours, That With Gentle Work Did Frame
- Sonnet 6: Then Let Not Winter's Ragged Hand Deface
- Sonnet 7: Lo! In The Orient When The Gracious Light
- Sonnet 8: Music To Hear, Why Hear'st Thou Music Sadly?
- Sonnet 9: Is It For Fear To Wet A Widow's Eye
- Sonnet 10: For Shame! Deny That Thou Bear'st Love To Any
- Sonnet 11: As Fast As Thou Shalt Wane, So Fast Thou Grow'st
- Sonnet 12: When I Do Count The Clock That Tells The Time
- Sonnet 13: O! That You Were Your Self; But, Love You Are
- Sonnet 14: Not From The Stars Do I My Judgement Pluck
- Sonnet 15: When I Consider Everything That Grows
- Sonnet 16: But Wherefore Do Not You A Mightier Way
- Sonnet 17: Who Will Believe My Verse In Time To Come
- Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?
- Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, Blunt Thou The Lion's Paws
- Sonnet 20: A Woman's Face With Nature's Own Hand Painted
- Sonnet 21: So Is It Not With Me As With That Muse
- Sonnet 22: My Glass Shall Not Persuade Me I Am Old
- Sonnet 23: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
- Sonnet 24: Mine Eye Hath Play'd The Painter And Hath Stell'd
- Sonnet 25: Let Those Who Are In Favour With Their Stars
- Sonnet 26: Lord Of My Love, To Whom In Vassalage
- Sonnet 27: Weary With Toil, I Haste Me To My Bed
- Sonnet 28: How Can I Then Return In Happy Plight
- Sonnet 29: When In Disgrace With Fortune And Men's Eyes
- Sonnet 30: When To The Sessions Of Sweet Silent Thought
- Sonnet 31: Thy Bosom Is Endeared With All Hearts
- Sonnet 32: If Thou Survive My Well-contented Day
- Sonnet 33: Full Many A Glorious Morning Have I Seen
- Sonnet 34: Why Didst Thou Promise Such A Beauteous Day
- Sonnet 35: No More Be Griev'd At That Which Thou Hast Done
- Sonnet 36: Let Me Confess That We Two Must Be Twain
- Sonnet 37: As A Decrepit Father Takes Delight
- Sonnet 38: How Can My Muse Want Subject To Invent
- Sonnet 39: O! How Thy Worth With Manners May I Sing
- Sonnet 40: Take All My Loves, My Love, Yea Take Them All
- Sonnet 41: Those Pretty Wrongs That Liberty Commits
- Sonnet 42: That Thou Hast Her It Is Not All My Grief
- Sonnet 43: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See
- Sonnet 44: If The Dull Substance Of My Flesh Were Thought
- Sonnet 45: The Other Two, Slight Air, And Purging Fire
- Sonnet 46: Mine Eye And Heart Are At A Mortal War
- Sonnet 47: Betwixt Mine Eye And Heart A League Is Took
- Sonnet 48: How Careful Was I When I Took My Way
- Sonnet 49: Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come
- Sonnet 50: How Heavy Do I Journey On The Way
- Sonnet 51: Thus Can My Love Excuse The Slow Offence
- Sonnet 52: So Am I As The Rich, Whose Blessed Key
- Sonnet 53: What Is Your Substance, Whereof Are You Made
- Sonnet 54: O! How Much More Doth Beauty Beauteous Seem
- Sonnet 55: Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments
- Sonnet 56: Sweet Love, Renew Thy Force; Be It Not Said
- Sonnet 57: Being Your Slave What Should I Do But Tend
- Sonnet 58: That God Forbid, That Made Me First Your Slave
- Sonnet 59: If There Be Nothing New, But That Which Is
- Sonnet 60: Like As The Waves Make Towards The Pebbled Shore
- Sonnet 61: Is It Thy Will, Thy Image Should Keep Open
- Sonnet 62: Sin Of Self-love Possesseth All Mine Eye
- Sonnet 63: Against My Love Shall Be As I Am Now
- Sonnet 64: When I Have Seen By Time's Fell Hand Defac'd
- Sonnet 65: Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea
- Sonnet 66: Tired With All These, For Restful Death I Cry
- Sonnet 67: Ah! Wherefore With Infection Should He Live
- Sonnet 68: Thus Is His Cheek The Map Of Days Outworn
- Sonnet 69: Those Parts Of Thee That The World's Eye Doth View
- Sonnet 70: That Thou Art Blam'd Shall Not Be Thy Defect
- Sonnet 71: No Longer Mourn For Me When I Am Dead
- Sonnet 72: O! Lest The World Should Task You To Recite
- Sonnet 73: That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold
- Sonnet 74: But Be Contented: When That Fell Arrest
- Sonnet 75: So Are You To My Thoughts As Food To Life
- Sonnet 76: Why Is My Verse So Barren Of New Pride
- Sonnet 77: Thy Glass Will Show Thee How Thy Beauties Wear
- Sonnet 78: So Oft Have I Invoked Thee For My Muse
- Sonnet 79: Whilst I Alone Did Call Upon Thy Aid
- Sonnet 80: O How I Faint When I Of You Do Write
- Sonnet 81: Or I Shall Live Your Epitaph To Make
- Sonnet 82: I Grant Thou Wert Not Married To My Muse
- Sonnet 83: I Never Saw That You Did Painting Need
- Sonnet 84: Who Is It That Says Most, Which Can Say More
- Sonnet 85: My Tongue-tied Muse In Manners Holds Her Still
- Sonnet 86: Was It The Proud Full Sail Of His Great Verse
- Sonnet 87: Farewell! Thou Art Too Dear For My Possessing
- Sonnet 88: When Thou Shalt Be Dispos'd To Set Me Light
- Sonnet 89: Say That Thou Didst Forsake Me For Some Fault
- Sonnet 90: Then Hate Me When Thou Wilt; If Ever, Now
- Sonnet 91: Some Glory In Their Birth, Some In Their Skill
- Sonnet 92: But Do Thy Worst To Steal Thyself Away
- Sonnet 93: So Shall I Live, Supposing Thou Art True
- Sonnet 94: They That Have Power To Hurt, And Will Do None
- Sonnet 95: How Sweet And Lovely Dost Thou Make The Shame
- Sonnet 96: Some Say Thy Fault Is Youth, Some Wantonness
- Sonnet 97: How Like A Winter Hath My Absence Been
- Sonnet 98: From You Have I Been Absent In The Spring
- Sonnet 99: The Forward Violet Thus Did I Chide
- Sonnet 100: Where Art Thou Muse That Thou Forget'st So Long
- Sonnet 101: O Truant Muse What Shall Be Thy Amends
- Sonnet 102: My Love Is Strengthen'd, Though More Weak In Seeming
- Sonnet 103: Alack! What Poverty My Muse Brings Forth
- Sonnet 104: To Me, Fair Friend, You Never Can Be Old
- Sonnet 105: Let Not My Love Be Call'd Idolatry
- Sonnet 106: When In The Chronicle Of Wasted Time
- Sonnet 107: Not Mine Own Fears, Nor The Prophetic Soul
- Sonnet 108: What's In The Brain, That Ink May Character
- Sonnet 109: O! Never Say That I Was False Of Heart
- Sonnet 110: Alas! 'tis True, I Have Gone Here And There
- Sonnet 111: O! For My Sake Do You With Fortune Chide
- Sonnet 112: Your Love And Pity Doth The Impression Fill
- Sonnet 113: Since I Left You, Mine Eye Is In My Mind
- Sonnet 114: Or Whether Doth My Mind, Being Crown'd With You
- Sonnet 115: Those Lines That I Before Have Writ Do Lie
- Sonnet 116: Let Me Not To The Marriage Of True Minds
- Sonnet 117: Accuse Me Thus: That I Have Scanted All
- Sonnet 118: Like As, To Make Our Appetite More Keen
- Sonnet 119: What Potions Have I Drunk Of Siren Tears
- Sonnet 120: That You Were Once Unkind Befriends Me Now
- Sonnet 121: 'Tis Better To Be Vile Than Vile Esteem'd
- Sonnet 122: Thy Gift, Thy Tables, Are Within My Brain
- Sonnet 123: No, Time, Thou Shalt Not Boast That I Do Change
- Sonnet 124: If My Dear Love Were But The Child Of State
- Sonnet 125: Were't Aught To Me I Bore The Canopy
- Sonnet 126: O Thou, My Lovely Boy, Who In Thy Power
- Sonnet 127: In The Old Age Black Was Not Counted Fair
- Sonnet 128: How Oft When Thou, My Music, Music Play'st
- Sonnet 129: The 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 Confess'd 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; Do Not Press
- Sonnet 141: In Faith I Do Not Love Thee 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 Love's 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 Know'st I Am Forsworn
- Sonnet 153: Cupid Laid By His Brand And Fell Asleep
- Sonnet 154: The Little Love-god Lying Once Asleep