In this fascinating and meticulous exploration of the language used in Shakespeare’s more mysterious Sonnets, John M. Glauser illuminates hitherto misunderstood areas of the poet’s work and suggests solutions to some of the most enduring linguistic puzzles.

To this end, the author extends his research beyond the Sonnets to Shakespeare’s other works – his longer poetical works and plays – and to his relationships with the most important people in his life, particularly his young patron, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, but not excluding the mysterious Dark Lady and other key figures.

The result is an intriguing and convincing new portrayal of Shakespeare’s complex, multi-layered writing and the often hidden religious and political meanings it contains – evidence of the poet’s dangerously unpopular opinions in the brutal world of the late sixteenth century.

Shakespeare’s Cryptic Sonnets is the product of over thirty-five years’ dedicated research.