The Phoenix and the Turtle
William Shakespeare · 1601 · Poetry
Full text · 1 chaptersNarrated in your voice
What it's about
The birds gather for the funeral of the phoenix and the turtle-dove, two lovers so united that they were one, and the poem ends with a lament over their urn. Shakespeare's shortest and most puzzling poem, first printed in Robert Chester's Love's Martyr.
Reading plan
Pick a finish date and Genius lays out the days — the plan shows today's target and keeps you honest.
Read together
Start a circle and share the code — everyone sees everyone's honest place in the book. Accountability, not leaderboards.
Who it's for
- Readers who like poems that reward rereading - Anyone curious about Shakespeare's least-known verse - Good read aloud, in a few minutes
