Themes and Clever Syntax
It's no secret that Shakespeare was a dude who loved to write about love and time and poetry. Just grab your Norton Critical Edition of the other 154 sonnets and read all about it. So, whenever you come across stylishly written thoughts about the transience of beauty, the ruthlessness of time, and the creative grace of poetry, there's a good chance you'll soon see a sign pointing you to Stratford-upon-Avon because you've probably wandered into Shakespeare territory.
"Stylish" is also a key word here. Shakespeare wasn't just your average sixteenth-century Bill. This guy was dripping with talent. After all, aren't we still reading the stuff he scribbled 400 years ago? So elegance of syntax is another Shakespearean clue. We're talking well-placed alliteration, startlingly clever figurative language, and philosophical profundity—the whole works. Shakespeare delivers.