John Hollander

Since their first publication in 1609, William Shakespeare's sonnets have begged a tantalizing question--for whom were they intended? The dedication comes not from the author himself but from the publisher, and the address to "Mr. W.H." may well be a deliberate attempt at misdirection. In the sonnets themselves, the poet first devotes his thoughts to a beautiful young male friend; then shifts his focus to his mistress-a dark femme fatale. The continuing...

An annual collection of seventy-five poems, selected as the best America has to offer.