The Dark Lady Reflections and Other Works

The last 27 sonnets of William Shakespeare are often referred to as the Dark Lady Sonnets. Though the actual identity of The Dark Lady remains a mystery, a leading candidate is Amelia Lanyer. Today, Amelia Lanyer is often cited as the first published women poet in the English language. The Dark Lady Reflections imagine what Amelia may have thought upon first reading and recognizing herself in Shakespeare's sonnets. The Reflections alternate between Shakespeare's sonnets, Amelia's stream of conscious response – her internal dialogue to each sonnet - and excerpts from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum, Lanyer’s epic poem on the Passion of the Christ.