The setting of the poem itself is uncertain. There are few clues in the text that indicate a particular place or time for the poem. Therefore, the setting with the most influence on the poem can be said to be the era in which it was written: Renaissance England. This was a time of rapid and frequent change, as political and artistic production exploded under the leadership of Elizabeth I. It was also a time of vast conflict, especially between the different Christian sects living in England at the time. Shakespeare's writing was famously said by fellow playwright Ben Jonson to be "not of an age, but for all time." Shakespeare's work has endured centuries of criticism and remains the most consistent element of the English literary canon. Readers may find his poetry timeless, but they were also very much rooted in the historical context of early...