Venus and Adonis
William Shakespeare
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Description
William Shakespeare dedicated Venus and Adonis to Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, and called the poem the first heir of his invention. His letter of dedication fears the world will blame him for resting so weak a burden on so strong a prop. He vows to use his idle hours on graver work if this piece finds favor, and to leave off if it proves deformed.
The poem itself opens at dawn. As the sun takes leave of the weeping morning, rose-cheeked Adonis rides out to the chase, a youth who loves hunting and laughs love to scorn. Venus, sick with longing, hurries to him and woos him boldly, calling him fairer than herself and the chief flower of the field. Shakespeare builds the whole poem on that chase reversed: the goddess hunts the boy, and the boy wants none of her.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | William Shakespeare |
|---|---|
| COLLECTION | BOOKS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 56 KB |
| LICENSE | PUBLIC_DOMAIN |
| RIGHTS | PUBLIC DOMAIN |
| SOURCE | Project Gutenberg |