Aemilia Lanyer as Shakespeare’s Rival Poet : The Narrative of Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Aemilia Lanyer as Shakespeare’s Rival Poet explores Shakespeare’s sonnet series and A Lover’s Complaint, both published in 1609.These poems are viewed in their historical context: in particular, in the context of Shakespeare’s patron.Through this prism, the patron’s relationship with “both” his poets (Sonnet 83) - the Bard and his Rival – are reviewed.Against linguistic logic, most scholars have dismissed the problematic interchangeability of the second-person address modes (ie.You/Thou) found in the Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1609).In contrast, this book examines these two address modes as a primary identification of two distinct styles and personalities.While multiple authorship of The Sonnets was toyed with a century ago, none were based on objective criteria and none suggested only two poets.This approach opens-up an exciting treasure chest of biographical material in the 154 sonnets, but it requires shedding some preconceptions about Shakespeare and exploring the authorship question.As a contribution to the debate about Shakespeare’s Sonnets, this book is for researchers in Shakespeare studies and Early-Modern English Literature more broadly.