Star Trek 's Patrick Stewart Recites Shakespeare for Fans amid Coronavirus: 'A Sonnet a Day'

Patrick Stewart is turning to classic literature as a way to keep people entertained during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday, the Star Trek star revisited his thespian days — he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for over a decade, according to Mashable — by sharing a video of himself reciting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 on Twitter.

To his surprise, Stewart’s reading garnered nearly 52,000 likes and praise from social media users who found the video to be especially soothing and “therapeutic.”

A day later, Stewart revealed that he was so “delighted by the response to yesterday’s posting of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116” that he would continue sharing his reading routine in the coming days.

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“When I was a child in the 1940s, my mother would cut up slices of fruit for me (there wasn’t much) and as she put it in front of me she would say, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ How about, ‘A sonnet a day keeps the doctor away’? So…here we go: Sonnet 1,” the 79-year-old wrote alongside a video of him reading.

On Monday, Stewart resumed with “Sonnet 2,” which he said “is one of my favorites.”

The star continued to use the hashtag “A Sonnet A Day” to document his progress.

Several users on Twitter were quick to thank Stewart for bringing comfort during an uncertain time.

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“Another reason to love Patrick Stewart. I didn’t think it was possible. Thank you so much for what you bring to us all,” one user wrote.

Added another, “Thank you so much! This is really helping with the stresses of these times,” while another tweeted, “This is fantastic. Thank you Sir Patrick.”

Stewart isn’t the only celebrity bringing levity to the situation.

On Sunday, singer Neil Diamond put a new spin on his classic song, “Sweet Caroline,” reworking the lyrics to make them relevant to today’s times.

“I know we’re going through a rough time right now, but I love ya, and I think maybe if we sing together, well, we’ll just feel a little bit better. Give it a try okay?” he shared in a Twitter video.

Diamond began to sing his hit song, eventually getting to the reworked coronavirus-inspired chorus, singing, “Hands / Washing hands / Reaching out / Don’t touch me, I won’t touch you,” before finishing the rest of the tune.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.