This stunning volume contains each of Shakespeare's sonnets presented in a beautiful collector's format. David West draws on his distinguished career as a classicist and literary critic to examine Shakespeare's sonnets in a new light. The application of the techniques of classical scholarship to the sonnets results in one of the most impressive contributions to Shakespeare studies in recent years. Just when familiarity with Shakespeare's language is declining, West restores the full force of the poems' meaning with an immediacy and thrust that will surprise and delight. The context of each poem, its relationship with its neighbors, its argument, and the details of its language and musical effects are explained in clear terms by a master of close reading. This is literary presentation at its best--a sensitive and subtle reading of the Bard at the height of his powers. Shakespeare lovers and poetry fans will enjoy this excellent companion to one of the greatest wonders in the English language--the zenith of Shakespeare's extraordinary creative vision.