Shakespeare's Sonnets

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: NM Few

Shakespeare's sonnets have long been considered some of the greatest poetry ever written. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?"

A sonnet is fourteen lines with ten syllables per line, including a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, known as iambic pentameter. The simplest example of iambic verse is a human heartbeat, which is a small beat followed by a larger beat: da-DUM. Iambic pentameter, then, sounds something like this: “da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM, da DUM."

Marvel at the use of syllables, or simply sit back and enjoy all Shakespeare’s sonnets in one handy volume.

©2023 NM Few (P)2023 NM Few

Good

I have never really cared for poetry, but I did like Shakespeare's plays when we read some in school- so much so that I took a Shakespeare class later in college. I previously listened to NM Few's narration of Pride and Prejudice and loved it. So when I saw this audiobook version of Shakespeare's sonnets that she narrated, I had to give it a try. I love the sound of her voice. It has a very soothing quality. As for the poems themselves, some I liked more than others. But overall, poetry still isn't my thing. I prefer Shakespeare's plays. But it was still an enjoyable experience.

Overall: 3.5 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story: 3 stars

Clean and gentle reading of beautiful classics

Loved this new rendition of Shakespeare’s classics. The poems are beautiful, the narrator makes the old English words and phrasing feel new and understandable. I particularly like sonnets 18, 27 and 55. Highly recommend!