William Shakespeare's (1564–1616), reputation is based primarily on his plays, but he became famous first as a poet. but he also wrote 154 sonnets and several long narrative poems, including Venus and Adonis, along with numerous songs embedded in his plays. His poetry is renowned for themes of time, love, beauty, and mortality, featuring iconic lines still quoted today.
William Shakespeare had probably been working as an actor and writer on the professional stage in London for four or five years when the London theaters were closed by order of the Privy Council on June 23, 1592. The authorities were concerned about a severe outbreak of the plague and alarmed at the possibility of civil unrest (Privy Council minutes refer to “a great disorder and tumult” in Southwark).
While the London theaters were closed, some actors tried to make a living by touring outside the capital. Shakespeare turned from the business of scriptwriting to the pursuit of art and patronage; unable to pursue his career in the theatrical marketplace, he adopted a more conventional course. Shakespeare’s first publication, Venus and Adonis (1593), was dedicated to the 18-year-old Henry Wriothesley, third Earl of Southampton. The dedication reveals a frank appeal for patronage, couched in the normal terms of such requests. Shakespeare received the Earl’s patronage and went on to dedicate his next dramatic poem, Lucrece, to the young lord as well.
Compared to the diversity of some of the later poets, William Shakespeare’s poems may be considered to be a bit lacking in their subject scope. However, it's important to remember the time era when these poems were written. During this era, literary professionals were hard pressed to make a living. Plays (for which William Shakespeare is best known) , were looked upon more as a hobby than a professional career and so the money for such works was not substantial, even when the theatres were open.
Poems were considered to be something for the nobles and upper society. Parchment was also considered to be a sacred material at that time (mainly due to the scarcity to secure large quantities at one time), so the lines of the poems written had to be catered specifically to sell. What better to sell than a love sonnet during the Elizabethan Era?
Famous Sonnets
Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?"): Explores the beauty of the beloved and the immortality of poetry.
Sonnet 116 ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds"): A famous, definitive take on the enduring nature of love.
Sonnet 130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"): A parody of conventional love poetry, celebrating real, rather than idealized, beauty.
Sonnet 29 ("When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes"): Focuses on the comfort of love in the face of despair.
Sonnet 73 ("That time of year thou mayst in me behold"): A meditation on aging and mortality.
Other Notable Songs and Poems
"The Phoenix and the Turtle": A profound allegorical poem.
"Fear no more the heat o' the sun" (from Cymbeline): A famous funeral dirge.
"Blow, blow, thou winter wind" (from As You Like It): A song about ingratitude.
"Under the greenwood tree" (from As You Like It): A pastoral song.
"Take, oh take those lips away" (from Measure for Measure): A lyrical song.
"Double, double toil and trouble" (from Macbeth): The famous witches' chant.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... ummers-day
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... true-minds
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/ ... nwood-tree
However, I have discovered that some things, if left long enough, cease to be relevant, so don't have to be dealt with and can go straight to the bin /shredder! 
Freddie and Jude 
, oversee homework, eliminate some dandelions, and other unending tasks
