the dark lady of the sonnets
/ðə ˌdɑːk ˌleɪdi əv ðə ˈsɒnɪts/
/ðə ˌdɑːrk ˌleɪdi əv ðə ˈsɑːnɪts/
- the woman to whom Shakespeare wrote most of his last sonnets. Her identity is not known but many guesses have been made about it. She is described as dark because of the colour of her skin and hair and because of the dark thoughts and feelings of guilt that she caused.