Introduction to the poem
With Venus and Adonis, Shakespeare in 1593 launches his career as a poet. The poem is a minor epic, a genre chosen by a large number of poets in the 1590s for their first efforts, each attempt at the genre self-consciously imitating the others. The genre is a marginal one, its characters usually drawn from the periphery of mythology or legendary history. Its interest is not in the matters of state that inform major epics but in eroticism, sophistication, and verbal wit. Among these poems, Venus and Adonis was such a notable success that it was, during his lifetime, Shakespeare’s most popular published work, going through 10 editions by 1616 and quoted in numerous journals, letters, and plays of the period. In 1598 a critic wrote that “the sweet witty soul of Ovid lives in mellifluous and honey-tongued Shakespeare, witness his Venus and Adonis.”
The Folger Shakespeare
Our bestselling editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
Affection is a coal that must be cooled;
Else, suffered, it will set the heart on fire.
What have you urged that I cannot reprove?
The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger.
Venus and Adonis in our collection
A selection of Folger collection items related to Venus and Adonis. Find more in our digital image collection
Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
Venus and Adonis
Learn more about Shakespeare, his poem, its language, and its history from the experts behind our edition.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
About Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis
An introduction to the myth of Venus and Adonis and Shakespeare’s interpretation of it
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and poetic techniques
An Introduction to This Text
A description of the publishing history of the poem and our editors’ approach to this edition
Textual Notes
A record of the variants in the early printings of this text
A Modern Perspective
An essay by Catherine Belsey
Further Reading
Suggestions from our experts on where to learn more
Related blog posts and podcasts
Aphrodite (Venus): The oft-invoked goddess of love
One of the figures that Shakespeare and his characters frequently invoke is Aphrodite, the goddess of love, often referred to by her Roman name, Venus, both in the plays and sonnets and in Shakespeare’s popular long poem, Venus and Adonis.…
Venus and Adonis: The classical myth that inspired Shakespeare's epic poem and John Blow's 17th-century opera
What many consider to be the earliest known English opera shares its mythological subject with Shakespeare’s most popular published work during his lifetime: the epic poem Venus and Adonis. Here we see great artists from different centuries using different art…
Life of an icon: Shakespeare as playwright and poet
Fifty of the most important manuscripts and printed works related to Shakespeare’s life and career are on display in the Folger exhibition Shakespeare, Life of an Icon, curated by Heather Wolfe. Some of these documents mark important milestones for Shakespeare…
Teaching Venus and Adonis
Use the Folger Method to teach any of Shakespeare’s works. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
Early printed texts
Venus and Adonis was first published in 1593, and subsequently frequently reprinted through the 17th century.
