Roger Quilter(1877-1953) was a famous English art song composer, he was expert in composing art songs by using exquisite poems, and he used Shakespeare’s work most.

From the end of the 20th century to the middle of the 21st century, there had been no improvement for English art songs for about 200 years, composers in England made no impressive pieces until Quilter’s art songs came out to thrive the whole environment of music in England. And he was also influential to some other important composers of later generation.

There are 5 chapters in this thesis. Chapter 1: the purpose, the object, the applied methods, and the motivation of this study. Chapter 2: the origin and the development of art songs in England and Quilter’s biography. Chapter 3: the Renaissance in England and Shakespeare’s biography. Chapter 4: the analysis and interpretation of 8 Shakespeare’s songs by Quilter. Chapter 5: the conclusion.