Shakespeare' but only five of the poems appear to be his. The title page to the second edition contains the inscription 'By W. Sonnets 138 and 144, despite the 'never before imprinted' claim, had been included, albeit in a slightly different format, in The Passionate Pilgrime (1599) a poetry collection containing twenty poems by various poets.
The publisher clearly went through the correct procedures prior to publication, so despite Shakespeare's reticence in publishing any of his works, there were apparently no irregularities by the publisher. On May 20, 1609, Thomas Thorpe was granted a license to publish 'a Booke called Shakespeare's sonnettes' as this entry in the Stationer's Register attests: 'Thomas Thorpe Entred for his copie vnder thandes of master Wilson and master Lownes Warden a Booke called Shakespeares sonnettes'. The 1609 quarto, entitled Shakespeares Sonnets, was published by Thomas Thorpe, printed by George Eld, and sold by William Aspley and William Wright. The publisher, although reputable, clearly wanted to make use of the celebrity of William Shakespeare who by 1609 was a famous member of the Globe Theatre and could count royalty amongst his patrons. The Sonnets of William Shakespeare appeared, without his permission, in 1609 and advertised as 'never before imprinted'.
