How are Shakespearean sonnets organized?

Answer 1

Shakespeare's sonnets are organized numerically, usually identified with a Roman numeral, starting with I and ending with CLIV. The reason for the assignment of a particular numeral to a particular Sonnet is not always clear, although it appears that sometimes groups of sonnets with a similar theme or topic are kept together, suggesting that the editor or someone made an effort to organize them. People have a tendency to assume that the order is chronological, although there is no evidence whatsoever that this is the case.