«Oh powerful love! That sometimes turns a beast into a man, and sometimes turns a man into a beast.» In this phrase of The Merry Wives of Windsor Shakespeare shows how love can influence our behavior and transform usboth for good and for bad. And love is a powerful force capable of inspiring great deeds (although also enormous atrocities).

Love is a very present theme throughout Shakespeare’s work.from dramas like Romeo and Juliet either Much ado about nothingeven his famous sonnets, which are among the most romantic poems in history.

Shakespeare’s sonnets

Shakespeare wrote a total of 154 sonnets which he published in 1609 (except for the first 2). They are famous for their exploration of love in its various formsalthough they also address different topics (beauty, mortality, politics…).

In them, love is described as a multifaceted emotion, capable of transforming peopleprovoke emotions as different as joy and suffering, or question social norms.

5 love sonnets by Shakespeare

The five sonnets that you will find below are the most romantic of the entire collection and they are ideal to share with your partner or loved one, especially on Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating love. Enjoy them!