Venus and Adonis
A goddess's obsessive pursuit of a reluctant youth, where desire leads to tragic fate.
About this book
William Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis is a compact, electric narrative poem that crackles with sensuality and wit as the amorous goddess Venus becomes enthralled by the beautiful young Adonis. Shakespeare dresses classical myth in vivid, tactile language—lush landscapes, sharp wordplay, and an undercurrent of craving and contradiction—inviting readers into a world where desire, persuasion, and the limits of power collide without ceremony. Short, dramatic, and unexpectedly modern in its voice, the poem balances erotic playfulness with haunting seriousness, making it an arresting read for anyone drawn to lyric intensity, mythic romance, and the moral ambiguities of longing.