A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets

Published in 1609, William Shakespeare's collection of 154 sonnets comprises the greatest lyric sequence of poems in world literature. At the centre of this sonnet sequence lies a mystery that has endured for 400 years. 126 of these sonnets are addressed to a "Fair Youth" and 26 are addressed to a "Dark Lady". What fair youth inspired such passion and who was Shakespeare's dark lady?