Margaret Demorest Sonnet Annotations: Sonnets 53 and 54
Item Metadata
Title
Margaret Demorest Sonnet Annotations: Sonnets 53 and 54
Date Created
1968
Subject
Shakespeare, William, -- 1564-1616 -- Sonnets; Sonnets, English -- History and criticism
Description
The following transcription of Demorest's annotations was selected and transcribed by Casper College student and Archives staff member Grace MacPherson in January of 2024.
SONNET 53
Overall Notes
Style here—a backing up—turning on self—
Spring may be April = Anne B.
6 July ’53: Edw. d; Mary on throne
10 July – Jane prod.[?] Q. by Northumb. group. Mary flees [illegible] + North[umberland] exec[uted]
’54 Birth of Sydney
Much Later—Pen. writes deris. letter to James—with Venus as code name for E (she learns of it)
“Truth” of identity in both sonnets here marriage of Mary + Phillip ’53
Line 2
Strange shadows: Mary is one shadow of E
Line 5
Counterfeit: both sexes here in comparison [Adonis (line 5) and Helen (line 7)] or perhaps: description of Adonis is only poor imitation of you
SONNET 54
Overall Notes
Check on his canker-bloom (perhaps it means flawed rose)
12 Feb. 16 yr. old Jane + Priest J[?] exec[uted]
E released from Tower May ’54
Untrue beauty dies unwoo’d but sweet beauty leaves sweet adown—his verse distill
Line 14
Distills: Philip? (Castile?)
SONNET 53
Overall Notes
Style here—a backing up—turning on self—
Spring may be April = Anne B.
6 July ’53: Edw. d; Mary on throne
10 July – Jane prod.[?] Q. by Northumb. group. Mary flees [illegible] + North[umberland] exec[uted]
’54 Birth of Sydney
Much Later—Pen. writes deris. letter to James—with Venus as code name for E (she learns of it)
“Truth” of identity in both sonnets here marriage of Mary + Phillip ’53
Line 2
Strange shadows: Mary is one shadow of E
Line 5
Counterfeit: both sexes here in comparison [Adonis (line 5) and Helen (line 7)] or perhaps: description of Adonis is only poor imitation of you
SONNET 54
Overall Notes
Check on his canker-bloom (perhaps it means flawed rose)
12 Feb. 16 yr. old Jane + Priest J[?] exec[uted]
E released from Tower May ’54
Untrue beauty dies unwoo’d but sweet beauty leaves sweet adown—his verse distill
Line 14
Distills: Philip? (Castile?)
Type
Text
Creator
Demorest, Margaret; Shakespeare, William
Language
ENG, LAT
Is Part Of
Margaret Demorest Papers, CCA 10.2011.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections.
Identifier
CCA 10.2011.01_Demorest_Sonnets_53_54
Format
PDF
Original Format
Written Annotations
Citation
Demorest, Margaret; Shakespeare, William, “Margaret Demorest Sonnet Annotations: Sonnets 53 and 54,” Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center Digital Collections, accessed August 19, 2025, https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/items/show/9605.