Brief Introduction to Shakespearean Sonnets

On May 20, 1609, Shakespeare's Sonnets were published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. A short excerpt:

"Although written in the 1590s, it wasn’t until 1609 that the Shakespeare sonnets were published. Around this time in Shakespeare's biography, he was finishing his theatrical career in London and moving back to Stratford-upon-Avon to live out his retirement.

It is likely that the 1609 publication was unauthorized because the text is riddled with errors and seems to be based on an unfinished draft of the sonnets – possibly obtained by the publisher through illegitimate means."