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Sebastian Michael, author of The Sonneteer and several other plays and books, looks at each of William Shakespeare's 154 Sonnets in the originally published sequence, giving detailed explanations and looking out for what the words themselves tell us about the great poet and playwright and his life, about the 'Fair Youth' and the 'Dark Lady', and about their complex and endlessly fascinating relationships. There are guest appearances from Shakespeare scholars and experts, and special episodes on topics of particular interest.

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PODCAST INFO
Launched: 7 September 2022
Last episode: 30 November 2025
Available episodes: 170
Average episode length: 27'09"
Longest episode: 81'46" Special Guest Professor David Crystal – Original Pronunciation (OP)
Shortest episode: 10'55" Sonnet 5
Total podcast length: 76 hours 54 minutes 34 seconds

1 FROM FAIREST CREATURES WE DESIRE INCREASE

2 WHEN FORTY WINTERS SHALL BESIEGE THY BROW

3 LOOK IN THY GLASS AND TELL THE FACE THOU VIEWEST

4 UNTHRIFTY LOVELINESS, WHY DOST THOU SPEND

5 THOSE HOURS THAT WITH GENTLE WORK DID FRAME

6 THEN LET NOT WINTER'S RAGGED HAND DEFACE

7 LO! IN THE ORIENT, WHEN THE GRACIOUS LIGHT

8 MUSIC TO HEAR, WHY HEARST THOU MUSIC SADLY?

10 FOR SHAME DENY THAT THOU BEARST LOVE TO ANY

11 AS FAST AS THOU SHALT WANE, SO FAST THOU GROWST

12 WHEN I DO COUNT THE CLOCK THAT TELLS THE TIME

13 O THAT YOU WERE YOURSELF, BUT LOVE, YOU ARE

14 NOT FROM THE STARS DO I MY JUDGEMENT PLUCK

15 WHEN I CONSIDER EVERY THING THAT GROWS

16 BUT WHEREFORE DO NOT YOU A MIGHTIER WAY

17 WHO WILL BELIEVE MY VERSE IN TIME TO COME

18 SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER'S DAY?

19 DEVOURING TIME, BLUNT THOU THE LION'S PAWS

20 A WOMAN'S FACE, WITH NATURE'S OWN HAND PAINTED

21 SO IS IT NOT WITH ME AS WITH THAT MUSE

22 MY GLASS SHALL NOT PERSUADE ME I AM OLD

24 MINE EYE HATH PLAYED THE PAINTER AND HATH STELLED

25 LET THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOUR WITH THEIR STARS

26 LORD OF MY LOVE, TO WHOM IN VASSALAGE

28 HOW CAN I THEN RETURN IN HAPPY PLIGHT

29 WHEN IN DISGRACE WITH FORTUNE AND MEN'S EYES

30 WHEN TO THE SESSIONS OF SWEET SILENT THOUGHT

31 THY BOSOM IS ENDEARED WITH ALL HEARTS

32 IF THOU SURVIVE MY WELL-CONTENTED DAY

33 FULL MANY A GLORIOUS MORNING HAVE I SEEN

34 WHY DIDST THOU PROMISE SUCH A BEAUTEOUS DAY

35 NO MORE BE GRIEVED AT THAT WHICH THOU HAST DONE

36 LET ME CONFESS THAT WE TWO MUST BE TWAIN

38 HOW CAN MY MUSE WANT SUBJECT TO INVENT

39 O HOW THY WORTH WITH MANNERS MAY I SING

40 TAKE ALL MY LOVES, MY LOVE, YEA, TAKE THEM ALL

41 THOSE PRETTY WRONGS THAT LIBERTY COMMITS

42 THAT THOU HAST HER, IT IS NOT ALL MY GRIEF

SPECIAL GUEST: PROFESSOR STEPHEN REGAN -- THE SONNET AS A POETIC FORM

43 WHEN MOST I WINK THEN DO MINE EYES BEST SEE

44 IF THE DULL SUBSTANCE OF MY FLESH WERE THOUGHT

45 THE OTHER TWO, SLIGHT AIR AND PURGING FIRE

46 MINE EYE AND HEART ARE AT A MORTAL WAR

47 BETWIXT MINE EYE AND HEART A LEAGUE IS TOOK

49 AGAINST THAT TIME, IF EVER THAT TIME COME

51 THUS CAN MY LOVE EXCUSE THE SLOW OFFENCE

52 SO AM I AS THE RICH WHOSE BLESSED KEY

53 WHAT IS YOUR SUBSTANCE, WHEREOF ARE YOU MADE

54 O HOW MUCH MORE DOTH BEAUTY BEAUTEOUS SEEM

56 SWEET LOVE, RENEW THY FORCE, BE IT NOT SAID

57 BEING YOUR SLAVE, WHAT SHOULD I DO BUT TEND

58 THAT GOD FORBID THAT MADE ME FIRST YOUR SLAVE

59 IF THERE BE NOTHING NEW, BUT THAT WHICH IS

60 LIKE AS THE WAVES MAKE TOWARDS THE PEBBLED SHORE

SPECIAL GUESTS: SIR STANLEY WELLS AND PAUL EDMONDSON -- THE ORDER OF THE SONNETS

61 IS IT THY WILL THY IMAGE SHOULD KEEP OPEN

62 SIN OF SELF-LOVE POSSESSETH ALL MINE EYE

64 WHEN I HAVE SEEN BY TIME'S FELL HAND DEFACED

65 SINCE BRASS, NOR STONE, NOR BOUNDLESS SEA

66 TIRED WITH ALL THESE FOR RESTFUL DEATH I CRY

67 AH, WHEREFORE WITH INFECTION SHOULD HE LIVE

68 THUS IS HIS CHEEK THE MAP OF DAYS OUTWORN

69 THOSE PARTS OF THEE THAT THE WORLD'S EYE DOTH VIEW

70 THAT THOU ARE BLAMED SHALL NOT BE THY DEFECT

71 NO LONGER MOURN FOR ME WHEN I AM DEAD

72 O LEST THE WORLD SHOULD TASK YOU TO RECITE

73 THAT TIME OF YEAR THOU MAYST IN ME BEHOLD

74 BUT BE CONTENTED WHEN THAT FELL ARREST

75 SO ARE YOU TO MY THOUGHTS AS FOOD TO LIFE

76 WHY IS MY VERSE SO BARREN OF NEW PRIDE

77 THY GLASS WILL SHOW THEE HOW THY BEAUTIES WEAR

78 SO OFT HAVE I INVOKED THEE FOR MY MUSE

82 I GRANT THOU WERT NOT MARRIED TO MY MUSE

83 I NEVER SAW THAT YOU DID PAINTING NEED

84 WHO IS IT THAT SAYS MOST, WHICH CAN SAY MORE

85 MY TONGUE-TIED MUSE IN MANNERS HOLDS HER STILL

86 WAS IT THE PROUD, FULL SAIL OF HIS GREAT VERSE

SPECIAL GUEST: PROFESSOR GABRIEL EGAN -- COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES

87 FAREWELL, THOU ART TOO DEAR FOR MY POSSESSING

88 WHEN THOU SHALT BE DISPOSED TO SET ME LIGHT

89 SAY THAT THOU DIDST FORSAKE ME FOR SOME FAULT

90 THEN HATE ME WHEN THOU WILT, IF EVER, NOW

91 SOME GLORY IN THEIR BIRTH, SOME IN THEIR SKILL

92 BUT DO THY WORST TO STEAL THYSELF AWAY

93 SO SHALL I LIVE, SUPPOSING THOU ART TRUE

94 THEY THAT HAVE POWER TO HURT AND WILL DO NONE

95 HOW SWEET AND LOVELY DOST THOU MAKE THE SHAME

96 SOME SAY THY FAULT IS YOUTH, SOME WANTONNESS

SPECIAL GUEST: PROFESSOR ABIGAIL ROKISON-WOODALL -- SPEAKING SHAKESPEARE

97 HOW LIKE A WINTER HATH MY ABSENCE BEEN

98 FROM YOU HAVE I BEEN ABSENT IN THE SPRING

SPECIAL GUEST: PROFESSOR DAVID CRYSTAL -- ORIGINAL PRONUNCIATION

100 WHERE ART THOU, MUSE, THAT THOU FORGETST SO LONG

101 O TRUANT MUSE, WHAT SHALL BE THY AMENDS

102 MY LOVE IS STRENGTHENED, THOUGH MORE WEAK IN SEEMING

103 ALACK, WHAT POVERTY MY MUSE BRINGS FORTH

104 TO ME, FAIR FRIEND, YOU NEVER CAN BE OLD

106 WHEN IN THE CHRONICLE OF WASTED TIME

107 NOT MINE OWN FEARS, NOR THE PROPHETIC SOUL

108 WHAT'S IN THE BRAIN THAT INK MAY CHARACTER

109 O NEVER SAY THAT I WAS FALSE OF HEART

110 ALAS, TIS TRUE, I HAVE GONE HERE AND THERE

111 O FOR MY SAKE DO YOU WITH FORTUNE CHIDE

112 YOUR LOVE AND PITY DOTH TH'IMPRESSION FILL

113 SINCE I LEFT YOU, MINE EYE IS IN MY MIND

114 OR WHETHER DOTH MY MIND, BEING CROWNED WITH YOU

115 THOSE LINES THAT I BEFORE HAVE WRIT DO LIE

116 LET ME NOT TO THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS

117 ACCUSE ME THUS, THAT I HAVE SCANTED ALL

118 LIKE AS TO MAKE OUR APPETITES MORE KEEN

119 WHAT POTIONS HAVE I DRUNK OF SIREN TEARS

120 THAT YOU WERE ONCE UNKIND BEFRIENDS ME NOW

121 TIS BETTER TO BE VILE THAN VILE ESTEEMED

122 THY GIFTS, THY TABLES, ARE WITHIN MY BRAIN

123 NO! TIME, THOU SHALT NOT BOAST THAT I DO CHANGE

124 IF MY DEAR LOVE WERE BUT THE CHILD OF STATE

125 WERE'T AUGHT TO ME I BORE THE CANOPY

126 O THOU, MY LOVELY BOY, WHO IN THY POWER

127 IN THE OLD AGE BLACK WAS NOT COUNTED FAIR

128 HOW OFT WHEN THOU, MY MUSIC, MUSIC PLAYST

129 TH'EXPENSE OF SPIRIT IN A WASTE OF SHAME

130 MY MISTRESS' EYES ARE NOTHING LIKE THE SUN

131 THOU ART AS TYRANNOUS, SO AS THOU ART

132 THINE EYES I LOVE, AND THEY, AS PITYING ME

133 BESHREW THAT HEART THAT MAKES MY HEART TO GROAN

134 SO NOW I HAVE CONFESSED THAT HE IS THINE

135 WHOEVER HATH HER WISH, THOU HAST THY WILL

136 IF THY SOUL CHECK THEE THAT I COME SO NEAR

137 THOU BLIND FOOL LOVE, WHAT DOST THOU TO MINE EYES

138 WHEN MY LOVE SWEARS THAT SHE IS MADE OF TRUTH

140 BE WISE AS THOU ART CRUEL, DO NOT PRESS

SPECIAL GUEST: PROFESSOR PHYLLIS RACKIN -- SHAKESPEARE AND WOMEN

141 IN FAITH, I DO NOT LOVE THEE WITH MINE EYES

142 LOVE IS MY SIN, AND THY DEAR VIRTUE HEATE

143 LO! AS A CAREFUL HOUSEWIFE RUNS TO CATCH

144 TWO LOVES I HAVE OF COMFORT AND DESPAIR

145 THOSE LIPS THAT LOVE'S OWN HAND DID MAKE

146 POOR SOUL, THE CENTRE OF MY SINFUL EARTH

147 MY LOVE IS AS A FEVER, LONGING STILL

148 O ME! WHAT EYES HATH LOVE PUT IN MY HEAD

149 CANST THOU, O CRUEL, SAY I LOVE THEE NOT

150 O FROM WHAT POWER HAST THOU THIS POWERFUL MIGHT

151 LOVE IS TOO YOUNG TO KNOW WHAT CONSCIENCE IS

152 IN LOVING THEE, THOU KNOWST I AM FORSWORN

154 THE LITTLE LOVE-GOD, LYING ONCE ASLEEP

SPECIAL: THE QUARTO EDITION OF 1609 AND ITS DEDICATION

SPECIAL: DATING THE SONNETS -- WITH MIRO ROMAN

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