Date of Publication: On May 18, 1593, the poem was entered in the Hall Book of the Worshipful Company of Stationers, the English government's pre-publication registry. 
Probable Main Source:.Metamorphoses, by the Roman poet Ovid (full name, Publius Ovidius Naso). Shakespeare may also have used Scilla’s Metamorphosis (1589) by Thomas Lodge and “Book III” of The Faerie Queene (1591) by Edmund Spenser.
Type of Poem and Length: Narrative love poem with 1,194 lines. 
Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is ababcc in a six-line stanza, as demonstrated in the opening stanza of the poem:

..............A...Even as the sun with purple-colour'd face
..............B...Had ta'en his last leave of the weeping morn,
..............A...Rose-cheek'd Adonis hied him to the chase;
..............B...Hunting he loved, but love he laugh'd to scorn;
..............C...Sick-thoughted Venus makes amain unto him,
..............C...And like a bold-faced suitor 'gins to woo him.

Meter: Most of the lines in the poem are in iambic pentameter, with ten syllables (five feet) per line. The following lines demonstrate this metric pattern:

.........1......   ....     ..2........  ....3.............4.............5
"ForSHAME," | heCRIES, | "letGO, | andLET | meGO;
.........1......   ....2.........  ....3...............4................5
MyDAY'S| deLIGHT| isPAST, | myHORSE| isGONE,
.......1......   ..   ..2.......  ....3..........4............5
And'TIS | yourFAULT| IAM | beREFT| himSO:
......1......       ..2........  .........3...............4.............5
IPRAY | youHENCE, |and LEAVE| meHERE | aLONE;
......1......      ..2........ ....... ....3.................4............5
ForALL | myMIND, |my THOUGHT, | myBUS | yCARE,
......1......   ..2.......  ....3..............4.................5
IsHOW | toGET | myPAL | freyFROM | theMARE."

Imagery: The poem is rich in metaphors describing the passion of Venus, the allure of the countryside, and the grisly aftermath of the boar's encounter with Adonis and the hunting dogs. Shakespeare exhibits considerable technical skill, for he was attempting to establish his reputation when he wrote the poem. Modern readers may enjoy the amusing irony of a female pursuing a shy and retiring male. 

.............."For shame," he cries, "let go, and let me go;
..............My day's delight is past, my horse is gone,
..............And 'tis your fault I am bereft him so:
..............I pray you hence, and leave me here alone;
..............For all my mind, my thought, my busy care,
..............Is how to get my palfrey from the mare."

.......His only desire is to hunt, to chase a boar, and he begs release. He promises a kiss if she allows him to go his way. When they embrace, “face grows to face.” When he draws backward, she presses in. He yields for a time, like wax, as she makes impressions. But by and by, as day succumbs to evening, he resists again and she no longer restrains him, saying:

.............."Sweet boy," she says, "this night I'll waste in sorrow,
..............For my sick heart commands mine eyes to watch.
..............Tell me, Love's master, shall we meet to-morrow?
..............Say, shall we? shall we? wilt thou make the match?'
..............He tells her, no; to-morrow he intends
..............To hunt the boar with certain of his friends."

.......He leaves, disappearing into the darkness. 
.......In the morning, the hunt is on. Hounds bark and bay. Attracted by the din, Venus spies the boar “Whose frothy mouth [is] bepainted all with red, / Like milk and blood being mingled both together.” The dogs run about in a frenzy, bleeding. And Adonis? Where is Adonis? She fears the worst. When a “merry horn” sounds, her heart quickens with hope and

..............As falcon to the lure, away she flies;
..............The grass stoops not, she treads on it so light;
..............And in her haste unfortunately spies
..............The foul boar's conquest on her fair delight;
..............Which seen, her eyes, as murder'd with the view,
..............Like stars ashamed of day, themselves withdrew;

.......Adonis has been gored. He is dead. Venus is devastated. She says:

.............."Alas, poor world, what treasure hast thou lost!
..............What face remains alive that's worth the viewing?
..............Whose tongue is music now? what canst thou boast
..............Of things long since, or any thing ensuing?
..............The flowers are sweet, their colours fresh and trim;
..............But true-sweet beauty lived and died with him."

.......From his blood, she causes a purple flower to grow. Then, tired and careworn, she hies away in her chariot, drawn by silver doves, “to immure herself and not be seen.”