Which English poem was a major source for Romeo and Juliet?

The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet was a major English source for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Arthur Brooke published the narrative poem in 1562. Brooke’s work was itself based largely on a French adaptation by Pierre Boaistuau, which means the story had already traveled through several literary languages before Shakespeare dramatized it.

Shakespeare followed many major elements of Brooke’s narrative, including the lovers’ families, the secret marriage, the banishment, Juliet’s sleeping potion, and the tragic ending. He also changed the pace and emphasis. The play compresses the action, gives more prominence to comic and secondary characters, and creates dialogue and imagery that are specific to the stage.

The title is sometimes shortened in discussion to Romeus and Juliet, but the full title is The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet. It is also important not to call Brooke the original inventor of the story: earlier Italian versions existed, including narratives associated with Luigi da Porto and Matteo Bandello.