Why are the years from 1585 to 1592 called Shakespeare’s lost years?

The years between 1585 and 1592 are referred to as William Shakespeare’s "lost years" because there is no reliable historical documentation regarding his activities or whereabouts during this period.1

Following the baptism of his twins, Hamnet and Judith, in February 1585, Shakespeare disappears from the official records of Stratford-upon-Avon. He does not reappear in the public record until 1592, when he is mentioned in a pamphlet by the dramatist Robert Greene in [London].12

Because of this lack of external evidence, various theories and anecdotes have emerged over the centuries to fill the gap. These include stories of him working as a country schoolmaster, serving as a soldier in the Low Countries, joining a great household, or fleeing to London after getting into trouble for poaching deer on the estate of Sir Thomas Lucy. However, none of these accounts are supported by contemporary documentation, and they are largely considered speculative or based on later, often unreliable, traditions.1