In William Shakespeare's Sonnet 87, Shakespeare appears to be bidding goodbye to the mysterious young man whom he writes so much about. The opening word of 'Farewell' could almost stand as a sufficient summary to the entire poem. As in Shakespeare's previous sonnets about the young man, it is in Sonnet 87 when the poet realizes the relationship has collapsed and that he needs to bid farewell to his young love. Shakespeare himself appears to be the speaker in the poem, whereas the young man is to whom Shakespeare is conveying his message.
In the first quatrain, the poet unmistakably bids fa…
