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William Shakespeare was a literary genius. He is acknowledged as the greatest writer, the English speaking world has ever seen. Stratford-upon-Avon was the birthplace of Shakespeare. He was born in 1564 as the son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. He is believed to have studied at the King's New School in Stratford.
'Venus and Adonis,' his first poem, which was published in 1593, describes the failed love Venus had for Adonis. 'The Rape of Lucrece' followed in 1594. Both these poems are dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton.
Shakespeare is also known for his sonnets. He penned 154 sonnets in all. Each sonnet had three quatrains and a couplet. These sonnets can be divided into two sections. A young nobleman is a hero of sonnets 1 to 126. An evil 'Dark Lady' with whom the poet falls in love is the subject of sonnets 127-152.
Shakespeare authored more than thirty plays. 'Romeo and Juliet,' 'Hamlet,' 'Othello,' and 'Macbeth' are among the most popular of his plays. He passed away in 1616.