Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser (1552-99)

• Birth- East Smithfield, London to John Spenser, a cloth maker.
• Educated in Merchant Taylor’s School.
• Alma mater:  Pembroke hall, Cambridge, a Puritan College.
• Completed B.A. in 1573 and M.A. in 1576, then left Cambridge for Kent, and got appointed as secretary to Dr. John Young, former master of Pembroke College and newly appointed Bishop of Rochester.
• Sir Philip Sidney Patronized Spenser
• Appointed secretary to Lord Grey de Wilton, Lord Deputy of Ireland.
• Spenser hoped to gain a place at court throug his poetical merit, he visited Walter Releigh’s company to deliver his most famous work, the Faerie Queene (Book 1-3, 1590); Book (4-6, 596). He offered Elizabeth the book in an attempt to gain favour. In recognition for his poem, Elizabeth awarded Spenser 100 Euro.
• 1589 – he visited London to publish first three books of The Faerie Queene
• “He writ no language” – Ben Johnson
• Introduced Spenserian stanza

1. Shepherd’s Calendar – 1579
   1. It was in Kent that his first poetical work published.
   2. In imitation of the classical poet  Virgil, the Shephard’s Calender consists of a series of eclogues (short poems usually cast as pastoral dialogues).
   3. A series of 12 Eclogues, one of each months of the year
   4. Characters: Cuddle, Colin Clout, Perigot
   5. Dedicated to Philip Sidney
   6. Written in imitation of the classical poet virgil
2. The Ruins of Time
3. The Tears of Muses
4. Mother Hubbered’s Tale
5. Amoretti- 88 Petrarchan sonnets
6. Epithalamion
7. Colin Clouts come home Again
8. Four Hymns and Prothalamion- 1596
9. The Faerie Queene

• 1. Delivered to Walter Raleigh’s company
  2. Offered to Elizabeth and she awarded 100 Euro as award.
  3. Wanted to write 12 books, each book representing the virtue of a knight. The chief of all twelve is King Arthur.
  4. Characters: Arthur, Merlin, Saracens…
  5. 1589 – First 3 books
  6. 1596 – Second 3 books
  7. Posthumous – 2 books
  8. 1st book – Knight of Redcross, Representing holiness
  9. 2nd book- Temperance
  10. 3rd book- Chestity
  11. 4th book- Friendship
  12. 5th book-

1. A View of the Present State of Ireland (1594)
   1. A prose pamphlet written in dialogue form from the standpoint of the Anglo-Irish chronicles.
   2. The pamphlet argues that Ireland would never be totally ‘pacified’ by the English until its indigenous language and customs had been destroyed, and for that violence is welcomed.

1. To whom did Spenser dedicated his Faerie Queen? To Queen Elizabeth.
2. To Whom did Spenser write a complimentary letter explaining the plan and purpose of his Faerie Queen? To Sir Walter Raleign.
3. Spenser’s Faerie Queene was planned to be completed in 12 books. But he was able to complete only: 6 books.
4. Spenser’s Primary purpose or motto in writing the Faerie Queene was: To fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.
5. Who is the hero of Spenser’s Faerie Queene? : King Arthur.
6. When Sidney died, Spenser wrote an elegy on his death: Astrophel.
7. Spenser’s Epithalamion is: a wedding hymn.
8. Spenser’s Amoretti is: A Collection of his love sonnets.
9. Spenser wrote a series of sonnets in honour of his lady love, Elizabeth Boyle, whom he married later. What title did he give to this series? Amoretti.
10. The Faerie Queene is an allegory. In this Queene Elizabeth is allegorized through the character of: Gloriana.7
11. Who calls Spenser the Ports’s poet? Charles lamb.
12. In which work did Spenser use Spensarian Stanza? Faerie Queene.
13. How many Cantoes are there in Book I of the Faerie Queene? 12
14. In the Dedicatory letter, Spenser says that the real beginning of the allegory in the Faerie Queene is to be found in: Book XII.
15. A critic says that the Faerie Queene is ” downright flattery – gross, shameless, lying flattery” of Queen Elizabeth: Dean Church
16. The Faerie Queene is basically a moral allegory. from whom did Spensert derive this concept  of moral allegory? Aristotle.
17. “Spenser writ no language” who said this? Ben Johnson.
18. Spenser divided his Sepheard’d Calender into 12 Ecologue. Why did he do so? Because there are 12 months in a calender.
19. To whom does Spenser dedicated his Sepheard’s Calender? Sir Philip Sidney.
20. Which poem of Spenser is a Pastoral? The Shepheard’s calender.
21. Why did Spenser give the title Astrophel to his elegy written on the death of Sidney? Because Sidney wrote a sonnet series under the title Astrophel and Stella.
22. How many ethical Virtues have been highlighted by Spenser in the Faerie Queene? 1
23. Prince Arthur in the Faerie Queene symbolises: magnificence.
24. Queen Elizabeth is allegorically represented through: Gloriana.
25. ” … Her angel face,/As the great eye of heaven shyned bright / And made a sunshine in the shadie place / Did never mortal eye behold such heavenly grace.” Whose beauty is described in these lines? Una’s

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