The Rival Poet is one of several 'characters,' either fictional or real persons, featured in William Shakespeare's sonnets. The sonnets most commonly identified as the Rival Poet group exist within the Fair Youth group in sonnets 78-86. Several theories about these characters, the Rival Poet included, have been expounded, and scholarly debate continues to put forward both conflicting and compelling arguments. In the context of these theories, the speaker of the poem sees the Rival Poet as a competitor for fame, wealth and patronage.
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Famous quotes containing the words rival and/or poet:
“No rival will steal away my sure love; that glory will be my gray hair.”
—Propertius Sextus (c. 50–16 B.C.)
“But though Heaven made him poor, with reverence speaking,
He never was a poet of God’s making;
The midwife laid her hand on his thick skull,
With this prophetic blessing—Be thou dull;”
—John Dryden (1631–1700)