A unique anthology celebrating that most vigorous of literary forms--the sonnet The sonnet is one of the oldest and most enduring literary forms of the post-classical world, a meeting place of image and voice, passion and reason, elegy and ode. It is a form that both challenges and liberates the poet. For this anthology, poet and scholar Phillis Levin has gathered more than 600 sonnets to tell the full story of the sonnet tradition in the English language. She begins with its Italian origins; takes the reader through its multifaceted development from the Elizabethan era to the Romantic and Victorian; demonstrates its popularity as a vehicle of protest among writers of the Harlem Renaissance and poets who served in the First World War; and explores its revival among modern and contemporary poets. In her vibrant introduction, Levin traces this history, discussing characteristic structures and shifting themes and providing illuminating readings of individual sonnets. She includes an appendix on structure, biographical notes, and valuable explanatory notes and indexes. And, through her narrative and wide-ranging selection of sonnets and sonnet sequences, she portrays not only the evolution of the form over half a millennium but also its dynamic possibilities. This compact text is a biography of the sonnet as composed in English. In an introductory essay, Levin (Temples and Fields; creative writing, Hofstra Univ.) discusses the sonnet's origins, history, traditions, and possibilities, including its use by poets of the Harlem Renaissance and veterans of World War I as a form of protest. Interwoven with the history are approaches to interpreting and criticizing this poetic form. The bulk of the text is an anthology of over 600 sonnets composed by more than 230 poets. Over 150 of the poets represented wrote during the 20th century. The text is enriched with an appendix covering sonnet patterns and variations, brief biographies of the poets, a list of additional readings, and indexes of authors, titles, and first lines. No recent publication on sonnets has included such a broad spectrum of sonnet writers or attempted to present so complete a history of the sonnet. Recommended for all public and academic libraries. Shana C. Fair, Ohio Univ., Zanesville Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Of The Moon by Charles Best Fra Banc To Banc, Fra Wod To Wod, I Rin by Mark Alexander Boyd Muses That Sing Love's Sensual Empery by George Chapman Needs Must I Leave And Yet Needs Must I Love by Henry Constable Care-charmer Sleepe, Sonne Of The Sable Night by Samuel Daniel Let Others Sing Knights And Palladines by Samuel Daniel Looke, Delia, How Wee Steeme The Half-blowne Rose by Samuel Daniel Although We Do Not All The Good We Love by John (1565-1618) Davies The Author Loving These Homely Meats Specially, Viz.: Cream, Pancakes, by John (1565-1618) Davies Some Blaze The Precious Beauties Of Their Loves by John (1565-1618) Davies How Many Paltry, Foolish, Painted Things by Michael Drayton Love, In A Humor, Play'd The Prodigall by Michael Drayton Nothing But No And I, And I And No by Michael Drayton Since Ther's No Helpe, Come Let Us Kisse And Part by Michael Drayton Since To Obtaine Thee Nothing Me Will Sted by Michael Drayton Sitting Alone. Love Bids Me Goe And Write by Michael Drayton First Did I Fear, When First My Love Began, by Giles, The Elder Fletcher That Self-same Tongue Which First Did The Entreat by George Gascoigne The Thriftles Thred Which Pampred Beauty Spinnes, by George Gascoigne Caelica, I Overnight Was Finely Used, by Fulke Greville In Night When Colours All To Black Are Cast, by Fulke Greville The Nurse-life Wheat, Within His Green Husk Growing, by Fulke Greville Alas, So All Thinges Nowe Doe Holde Their Peace by Henry Howard I Never Saw You, Madam, Lay Apart by Henry Howard Love That Liveth And Reigneth In My Thought by Henry Howard The Soote Season, That Bud And Blome Furth Bringes by Henry Howard But Render Me My Wonted Joyes Againe by Anne Vaughan Locke Loe Prostrate, Lorde, Before Thy Face I Lye by Anne Vaughan Locke I Hope And Feare, I Pray And Hould My Peace by Thomas Lodge A Secret Murder Hath Been Done Of Late by Walter Raleigh To His Son by Walter Raleigh A Vision Upon This Conceipt Of The Faery Queene by Walter Raleigh Because I Breathe Not Love To Everie One by Philip Sidney Come Sleepe, O Sleepe, The Certaine Knot Of Peace by Philip Sidney Having This Day My Horse, My Hand, My Launce by Philip Sidney I On My Horse, And Love On Me Doth Trie by Philip Sidney It Is Most True That Eyes Form's To Serve by Philip Sidney Leave Me, O Love, Which Reachest But To Dust by Philip Sidney Let Daintie Wits Crie On The Sisters Nine by Philip Sidney Love Still A Boy, And Oft A Wanton Is by Philip Sidney Loving In Truth, And Faine In Verse My Love To Show, by Philip Sidney My Mouth Dot