Variable Passions: A Reading of Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis

Although this 1593 poem established Shakespeare's reputation, did not emerge from modern critical neglect until the mid-1970s convergence of feminist criticism and revival of interest in formal rhetoric. From an analytical rather than narrative sweep reading, this monograph contextualizes Shakespeare's approach to myth, rhetoric, and gender relations by contrasting it with Italian versions of this erotic tale. The bibliography represents fairly comprehensive coverage of the scholarly material on the poem since Rollin's (1938). Mortimer teaches English literature at the U. of Fribourg and U. of Geneva, Switzerland. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR