This book is a collection of poems from the Victorian era by the Irish poet, journalist, and physician, James Clarence Mangan. It features 100 poems written between 1840 and 1849, most of which were published in the Dublin University Magazine. Drawing inspiration from Irish folklore, history, and mythology, Mangan's poetry explores life's pleasures, struggles, and despairs. Throughout these verses, the author examines the nature of love, the plight of Irish peasants, his own personal misfortunes, and the beauty of his homeland, presenting an insight into 19th-century Irish life through heartfelt, yet sharply-observed verse.
Arguably the greatest English-language playwright, William Shakespeare was a seventeenth-century writer and dramatist, and is known as the Bard of Avon. Under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I, he penned more than 30 plays, 154 sonnets, and numerous narrative poems and short verses. Equally accomplished in histories, tragedies, comedy, and romance, Shakespeare s most famous works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It.
Like many of his contemporaries, including Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare began his career on the stage, eventually rising to become part-owner of Lord Chamberlain s Men, a popular dramatic company of his day, and of the storied Globe Theatre in London.
Extremely popular in his lifetime, Shakespeare s works continue to resonate more than three hundred years after his death. His plays are performed more often than any other playwright s, have been translated into every major language in the world, and are studied widely by scholars and students.