The most enigmatic and enduring love poems written in English, Shakespeare's sonnets also may be the most argued-over sequence of love poems in any language. But what is it that continues to elude us? While it is in part the spellbinding language, the hide-and-seek of sound and meaning, it is also the mystery of the noble youth whom Shakespeare promises will survive forever in the minds of all those who read these sonnets. Engaging deeply with these poems, Elaine Scarry synthesizes textual analysis, literary criticism, and historiography to end four centuries of controversy and establish the identity of the Bard's beloved friend.