- a new, modern-spelling text, collated and edited from all existing printings
- on-page and facing-page commentary and notes explain language and allusions
- detailed introductions consider the sonnets' biographical and literary background, how the poems relate to the plays, dating and textual matters, and the mysteries of 'Mr W. H.' and the 'Dark Lady'
- includes poems attributed to Shakespeare in the seventeenth century
- full index to introductions and commentary
- durable sewn binding for lasting use

'not simply a better text but a new conception of Shakespeare. This is a major achievement of twentieth-century scholarship.' Times Literary Supplement