Spenser is one of the renowned pictorial artists in English poetry and his pictures are life-like and colorful. Although he was not a painter, he could paint with words and colorful and decorative pictures quite in the style of European painters. The Faerie Queene is a picture gallery with luxurious richness and colorful decorations. When we read it, we pass through an enchanted landscape in which there is a dream-like succession of pageants and dissolving views of forests, lakes, caves, and palaces. Spenser draws imagery from various sources, such as (a) Elizabethan court pageants, masques, and festive dances (b) Elizabethan furniture, tapestries, etc. (c) Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Virgil's Eclogues and (d) The Bible.

Spenser does not avoid the world of human beings. He has drawn concrete and realistic pictures of knights, ladies, queens, heroes, and warriors. For example, we get a wonderful picture of a Medieval Knight in the figure of the Red Cross Knight as described by the poet. "A gentle Knight was pricking on the plane." The Red Cross Knight riding on the horse was of noble birth. On his breast, he bore a bloody cross as a token of his love and allegiance to Jesus Christ who had died on the Cross. The sign of the Cross was also inscribed on his shield. He was a follower of Christ both in word and deed. The medieval institution of Knight errantry had a peculiar fascination for Spenser and we get an impression and detailed word-paintings of scenes of fighting, knightly encounters, and bloodshed.

Spenser shows himself at his best when freed from the need of describing a scene or object in actual existence. He gives free rein to his imagination when dealing with the objects of his own creation. On such occasions, he seems to experience a peculiar joy as he bathes his fanciful creations in the light and color and shade of his own choice.

Spenser's word pictures are usually elaborate and developed at full length with every minute detail, worked to its widest span. He is an artist who knows where he has to restrain his verse and content himself by touching upon a significant detail or two leaving the manifold details of the picture to the imagination of his reader.

Spenser has painted the beauty of nature. He has given vivid pictures of beasts and giants, but when he comes to delineating ugliness or evoking disgust or dread by representing horror in its most impressive aspect, he seems to put forth all the power of his poetic language. The portrait of Archimago is presented in such a way that apparently he seems simple but full of treacherous guile, knitting, and the snare of his villainous mischief while professing holiness and piety.

Spenser is skilled in presenting the abstract in concrete forms. In the poetic description, sound imagery is the natural accompaniment of word painting. The Faerie Queene is peopled with noise and sound. So, Spenser introduces vocal and instrumental music in his imagery and this was the demand of the age. In image-making power, his superiority to his contemporary poets is one of degree, resulting from a finer sensibility and a wider range of appeal which have strengthened his position as the poet's poet.

Show Spenser as a pictorial artist with reference to The Faerie Queene Book I ?

Green Land | February 26, 2023 | 1comments

Spenser is one of the renowned pictorial artists in English poetry and his pictures are life-like and colorful. Although he was not a painter, he could paint with words and colorful and decorative pictures quite in the style of European painters. The Faerie Queene is a picture gallery with luxurious richness and colorful decorations. When we read it, we pass through an enchanted landscape in which there is a dream-like succession of pageants and dissolving views of forests, lakes, caves, and palaces. Spenser draws imagery from various sources, such as (a) Elizabethan court pageants, masques, and festive dances (b) Elizabethan furniture, tapestries, etc. (c) Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Virgil's Eclogues and (d) The Bible.

Spenser does not avoid the world of human beings. He has drawn concrete and realistic pictures of knights, ladies, queens, heroes, and warriors. For example, we get a wonderful picture of a Medieval Knight in the figure of the Red Cross Knight as described by the poet. "A gentle Knight was pricking on the plane." The Red Cross Knight riding on the horse was of noble birth. On his breast, he bore a bloody cross as a token of his love and allegiance to Jesus Christ who had died on the Cross. The sign of the Cross was also inscribed on his shield. He was a follower of Christ both in word and deed. The medieval institution of Knight errantry had a peculiar fascination for Spenser and we get an impression and detailed word-paintings of scenes of fighting, knightly encounters, and bloodshed.

Spenser shows himself at his best when freed from the need of describing a scene or object in actual existence. He gives free rein to his imagination when dealing with the objects of his own creation. On such occasions, he seems to experience a peculiar joy as he bathes his fanciful creations in the light and color and shade of his own choice.

Spenser's word pictures are usually elaborate and developed at full length with every minute detail, worked to its widest span. He is an artist who knows where he has to restrain his verse and content himself by touching upon a significant detail or two leaving the manifold details of the picture to the imagination of his reader.

Spenser has painted the beauty of nature. He has given vivid pictures of beasts and giants, but when he comes to delineating ugliness or evoking disgust or dread by representing horror in its most impressive aspect, he seems to put forth all the power of his poetic language. The portrait of Archimago is presented in such a way that apparently he seems simple but full of treacherous guile, knitting, and the snare of his villainous mischief while professing holiness and piety.

Spenser is skilled in presenting the abstract in concrete forms. In the poetic description, sound imagery is the natural accompaniment of word painting. The Faerie Queene is peopled with noise and sound. So, Spenser introduces vocal and instrumental music in his imagery and this was the demand of the age. In image-making power, his superiority to his contemporary poets is one of degree, resulting from a finer sensibility and a wider range of appeal which have strengthened his position as the poet's poet.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

The Faerie Queene as well as The Shepherds Calender bear traces of Spenser's reverence for the social and religious institutions of the Medieval Age. He was in sympathy with the old order of chivalry that was passing away. Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh were to him the last relics of the old order of Knight errantry that had seen its days of glory in the knights of the bygone days. In those days each Knight took it as his sacred duty to defend the weak, especially the weaker sex, from the outrage of the strong, to help the miserable, and restore virtue and goodness to their rightful place of honor.

The seeking of honor through perilous adventures and through fights against the mighty tyrants that oppressed the weak and the virtuous, the glorification of woman and the offering of protection to her, the compassionate regard for the poor and the suffering- these were the ideals of knighthood as it was practiced in the ages long before the times of Spenser.

Some good knights cherished ideals and were ever ready to rise their lives to justify their professions. The Knight of the Red Cross as we find in The Faerie Queene, Book I belongs to this noble class. As we read The Faerie Queene we picture ourselves the whole procession of brave adventurous knights speeding across the vast desert, through forests, and up the hills. We seem to hear the lash of arms and see, sometimes, virtue prevails against vice, and sometimes, virtue falls a victim to the superior power of villainy to be redeemed by a still stronger virtue. We picture also the spectacle of virtuous ladies falling into the hands of the wicked to be redeemed in the end by the defenders after much trial and tribulation.

The Middle Ages had long gone away, but something of their spirit still survived in the institution of chivalry. The Middle Ages took delight in the spectacle of pageants and ceremonies and tournaments. Spenser gave them a new splendor in his pages. He sought to remove the old institution of chivalry by investing it with a new honor and glory.

Courtesy and refinement of manners were the two essential qualities of the man of rank and culture in the Middle Ages. In Spenser's own time, the royal court of Queen Elizabeth patronized arts and culture. These were found in the knights and noblemen that gathered around the patronizing lords and ladies. Some glimpses of the court of Queen Elizabeth I may be traced in Spenser's epic The Faerie Queen.

There were many common themes in the literature of the Middle Ages. The forlorn damsel in distress, the multi-headed monster terrorizing the world and ravaging a whole country, the terrible giant taking delight in killing men, the subtle enchanter practicing his magical arts on the innocent and the unwary, the cruel enchantress making the wisest and the bravest of men victims of her affected charms, and the lustful Knight in pursuit of the gentle lady- such are the characters that participate in the action of the romances of the Medieval Age. In Spenser's grand epic, all these characters are presented.

To sum up, The Faerie Queene has traces of romance and chivalry of the Medieval world. The ideals of medievalism are held dear by Spenser and he appreciates the time-honored institution of chivalry, with emphasis on the glorification of women and compassion for the poor.

Trace medieval elements in The Faerie Queene Book I ?

Green Land | February 26, 2023 | 0 comments

The Faerie Queene as well as The Shepherds Calender bear traces of Spenser's reverence for the social and religious institutions of the Medieval Age. He was in sympathy with the old order of chivalry that was passing away. Sir Philip Sidney and Sir Walter Raleigh were to him the last relics of the old order of Knight errantry that had seen its days of glory in the knights of the bygone days. In those days each Knight took it as his sacred duty to defend the weak, especially the weaker sex, from the outrage of the strong, to help the miserable, and restore virtue and goodness to their rightful place of honor.

The seeking of honor through perilous adventures and through fights against the mighty tyrants that oppressed the weak and the virtuous, the glorification of woman and the offering of protection to her, the compassionate regard for the poor and the suffering- these were the ideals of knighthood as it was practiced in the ages long before the times of Spenser.

Some good knights cherished ideals and were ever ready to rise their lives to justify their professions. The Knight of the Red Cross as we find in The Faerie Queene, Book I belongs to this noble class. As we read The Faerie Queene we picture ourselves the whole procession of brave adventurous knights speeding across the vast desert, through forests, and up the hills. We seem to hear the lash of arms and see, sometimes, virtue prevails against vice, and sometimes, virtue falls a victim to the superior power of villainy to be redeemed by a still stronger virtue. We picture also the spectacle of virtuous ladies falling into the hands of the wicked to be redeemed in the end by the defenders after much trial and tribulation.

The Middle Ages had long gone away, but something of their spirit still survived in the institution of chivalry. The Middle Ages took delight in the spectacle of pageants and ceremonies and tournaments. Spenser gave them a new splendor in his pages. He sought to remove the old institution of chivalry by investing it with a new honor and glory.

Courtesy and refinement of manners were the two essential qualities of the man of rank and culture in the Middle Ages. In Spenser's own time, the royal court of Queen Elizabeth patronized arts and culture. These were found in the knights and noblemen that gathered around the patronizing lords and ladies. Some glimpses of the court of Queen Elizabeth I may be traced in Spenser's epic The Faerie Queen.

There were many common themes in the literature of the Middle Ages. The forlorn damsel in distress, the multi-headed monster terrorizing the world and ravaging a whole country, the terrible giant taking delight in killing men, the subtle enchanter practicing his magical arts on the innocent and the unwary, the cruel enchantress making the wisest and the bravest of men victims of her affected charms, and the lustful Knight in pursuit of the gentle lady- such are the characters that participate in the action of the romances of the Medieval Age. In Spenser's grand epic, all these characters are presented.

To sum up, The Faerie Queene has traces of romance and chivalry of the Medieval world. The ideals of medievalism are held dear by Spenser and he appreciates the time-honored institution of chivalry, with emphasis on the glorification of women and compassion for the poor.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

The Faerie Queene is a wonderful blend of the Medieval, the Renaissance and the Reformation elements. Though the spirit of Renaissance, or that of the Reformation, has its hold on Spenser's mind, the old order that has been passing away, has also its appeal to him. The Renaissance was an intellectual, moral and cultural movement which spread over Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and early 16th centuries. It marked the revival of interest in the classical learning of ancient Greece and Rome. Broadly, it marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern world. The Renaissance freed man's mind from the slavery of the monastic ideals, asserted the supremacy of reason and inspired him to take an aesthetic delight in the beauties of the world and the pleasures of the senses. The new age was characterised by the spirit of adventure, love for beauty, moral earnestness, a love for richness and magnificence, power and pelf, etc.

During the period of the Renaissance, there was a revival of old classical literature of Greece and Rome. Spenser borrowed the materials of his poetry from the classical writers but he modified them in his own way. The Greek philosophical ideas deeply affected the Renaissance thoughts and Spenser, as the child of the Renaissance, was greatly influenced by the Greek philosophers. The plan of The Faerie Queene, to fashion a gentleman of noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline, was derived from Aristotle.

The Reformation was a movement in the 16th century to reform the abuses in the Roman Church and establish the Reformed or Protestant Churches. This movement led to the various Protestant schisms of the 16th century with several leaders such as Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in France, Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland and John Knox in Scotland. Spenser was equally influenced by the Renaissance and the Reformation. He was a devout Christian and zealous protestant. But he did not allow his Renaissance ideals to damp his religious enthusiasm.

The allegory of The Faerie Queene as revealed in Book I, is certainly a brief outline of the history of Reformation in England. We know how Queen Elizabeth, heading the Protestants, goes to war against the Catholic forces, headed by the Queen of Scots. As a zealous Protestant and ardent patriot, Spenser represents Queen Elizabeth as Una, or the embodiment of truth or true church. This is in striking contrast with Mary, Queen of Scots as Duessa or the embodiment of Falsehood or the false religion, Catholicism. The Red Cross Knight is St. George of England, who, like a true Christian, makes his way to holiness and blessedness through a perfecting discipline. In his epic, Spenser justifies the part played by the Englishmen in their fight against the Church of Rome and he is to be admired for his strong support for and belief in the cause of Reformation.

The medieval elements are also traceable in The Faerie Queene, Book-I. Spenser looks back to the ideas and ideals of the Middle Ages. Chivalry, Honour, Courtesy, worship of women, and compassion for the poor or the afflicted, are some of the most predominant characteristics of the Middle Ages and Spenser has imbibed a strong sympathy for them. He draws upon the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages for his famous epic.

To sum up, love of display and adventure, are strictly medieval traits and Spenser has freely and fully exploited them in his epic. His description of the pageantry of the court masque and entertainment, the beauty of Knightly armour and the dress of well born ladies all display the medieval element in his poetry. But his greatness lies in the fact that he has been able to blend successfully all the three elements of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the medieval life of chivalry and heroism.

How does Spenser blend the Medieval, the Renaissance and the Reformation elements in The Faerie Queene?

Green Land | June 16, 2022 | 0 comments

The Faerie Queene is a wonderful blend of the Medieval, the Renaissance and the Reformation elements. Though the spirit of Renaissance, or that of the Reformation, has its hold on Spenser's mind, the old order that has been passing away, has also its appeal to him. The Renaissance was an intellectual, moral and cultural movement which spread over Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and early 16th centuries. It marked the revival of interest in the classical learning of ancient Greece and Rome. Broadly, it marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern world. The Renaissance freed man's mind from the slavery of the monastic ideals, asserted the supremacy of reason and inspired him to take an aesthetic delight in the beauties of the world and the pleasures of the senses. The new age was characterised by the spirit of adventure, love for beauty, moral earnestness, a love for richness and magnificence, power and pelf, etc.

During the period of the Renaissance, there was a revival of old classical literature of Greece and Rome. Spenser borrowed the materials of his poetry from the classical writers but he modified them in his own way. The Greek philosophical ideas deeply affected the Renaissance thoughts and Spenser, as the child of the Renaissance, was greatly influenced by the Greek philosophers. The plan of The Faerie Queene, to fashion a gentleman of noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline, was derived from Aristotle.

The Reformation was a movement in the 16th century to reform the abuses in the Roman Church and establish the Reformed or Protestant Churches. This movement led to the various Protestant schisms of the 16th century with several leaders such as Martin Luther in Germany, John Calvin in France, Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland and John Knox in Scotland. Spenser was equally influenced by the Renaissance and the Reformation. He was a devout Christian and zealous protestant. But he did not allow his Renaissance ideals to damp his religious enthusiasm.

The allegory of The Faerie Queene as revealed in Book I, is certainly a brief outline of the history of Reformation in England. We know how Queen Elizabeth, heading the Protestants, goes to war against the Catholic forces, headed by the Queen of Scots. As a zealous Protestant and ardent patriot, Spenser represents Queen Elizabeth as Una, or the embodiment of truth or true church. This is in striking contrast with Mary, Queen of Scots as Duessa or the embodiment of Falsehood or the false religion, Catholicism. The Red Cross Knight is St. George of England, who, like a true Christian, makes his way to holiness and blessedness through a perfecting discipline. In his epic, Spenser justifies the part played by the Englishmen in their fight against the Church of Rome and he is to be admired for his strong support for and belief in the cause of Reformation.

The medieval elements are also traceable in The Faerie Queene, Book-I. Spenser looks back to the ideas and ideals of the Middle Ages. Chivalry, Honour, Courtesy, worship of women, and compassion for the poor or the afflicted, are some of the most predominant characteristics of the Middle Ages and Spenser has imbibed a strong sympathy for them. He draws upon the Arthurian romances of the Middle Ages for his famous epic.

To sum up, love of display and adventure, are strictly medieval traits and Spenser has freely and fully exploited them in his epic. His description of the pageantry of the court masque and entertainment, the beauty of Knightly armour and the dress of well born ladies all display the medieval element in his poetry. But his greatness lies in the fact that he has been able to blend successfully all the three elements of the Renaissance, the Reformation and the medieval life of chivalry and heroism.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

An epic centres round the activities of a single hero of national importance; the romance, on the other hand, records the activities of several characters. The hero of an epic is a person of historical and national importance, while the characters of the romance are fictitious persons, created by the fertile imagination of the writer. An epic generally maintains the unity of structure, while in a romance the structure is often loose. The Faerie Queene is neither an epic nor a perfect romance but, in fact, it combines the qualities of both romance and epic.

The attention of the readers of The Faerie Queene is focussed not on the activities of one man, but on the achievement of many persons. In depicting the actions of many men, The Faerie Queene becomes a romance rather than an epic. But Spenser has given it the air of an epic by interweaving the various actions of various characters round the figure of Prince Arthur, the single hero. Since King Arthur, unlike the hero of a romance, is a historical figure, Spenser, by presenting his activities makes The Faerie Queene an epic.

Some critics have raised questions regarding the central figure of Arthur, the hero of the epic. Warton, a critic, says that not the Red Cross Knight but Arthur should have slain the Dragon, as we find in Book-I. But we have seen in the classical epic, e.g. The Iliad several heroic characters. In The Iliad although Achilles is its chief hero, there are several other heroes like Diomedes, Agamemnon and Hector. Similarly, we have in The Faerie Queene separate books, each with its separate hero. But Arthur like Achilles in The Iliad has eclipsed all other Knights and has proved himself worthy of Gloriana.

Epic similar is one of the important technical devices of epic and Spenser has introduced epic similes which are broad in their comparisons and bring the pictures clearly before our eyes. In Canto I, stanza 21 of The Faerie Queene, the poet uses an epic simile to describe the evil impact of the Roman catholic priests, symbolised by the monster Error's offsprings, as compared to the ugly creatures who are brought to life by the fertile mud of the Nile after the flood.

"As when old father Nilus gins to swell With timely pride above the Aegyptain vale, His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell,And overflow each plaine and lowly dale ............................................... Such ugly monstrous shapes elsewhere may no man reed."

Spenser has introduced supernatural machinery of dream and fancies. Archimago the wicked magician sends a,spirit to the house of Morpheus, the god of sleep, who lives in the subterranean world. Archimago obtains from Morpheus a particular kind of dream which is brought to him by the spirit. Thus this is a technical device adopted by Spenser to The Faerie Queene as an epic.

But although The Faerie Queene has been written in the style of an epic, it cannot be denied that it also has qualities of romance in it. By combining romance and epic, Spenser has created the romantic epic such as Ariosto has produced in Qrlando Furioso.

In the Elizabethan Age, the epic writer was morally bound to give some moral lesson in his story. Spenser has done the same thing. The object of The Faerie Queene is to discipline a young man in noble virtues.

Further, the unity of the poem which is an important characteristic of the epic, is not well maintained. The structure of The Faerie Queene is loose and rambling, as the poet advances in the latter books. There are digressions which create variety but they have proved to be a hindrance in the way of the epic. They lead us to a land of dreams which suit more for romance rather than for the epic.

To sum up, we can say that The Faerie Queene is not an epic like the classical epics of Homer and Virgil, but it is a romantic epic based on the style and method of Ariosto's Orlando Furiose but Spenser differs from him in his moral tone.

Consider whether The Faerie Queene is an epic or a romance?

Green Land | June 16, 2022 | 0 comments

An epic centres round the activities of a single hero of national importance; the romance, on the other hand, records the activities of several characters. The hero of an epic is a person of historical and national importance, while the characters of the romance are fictitious persons, created by the fertile imagination of the writer. An epic generally maintains the unity of structure, while in a romance the structure is often loose. The Faerie Queene is neither an epic nor a perfect romance but, in fact, it combines the qualities of both romance and epic.

The attention of the readers of The Faerie Queene is focussed not on the activities of one man, but on the achievement of many persons. In depicting the actions of many men, The Faerie Queene becomes a romance rather than an epic. But Spenser has given it the air of an epic by interweaving the various actions of various characters round the figure of Prince Arthur, the single hero. Since King Arthur, unlike the hero of a romance, is a historical figure, Spenser, by presenting his activities makes The Faerie Queene an epic.

Some critics have raised questions regarding the central figure of Arthur, the hero of the epic. Warton, a critic, says that not the Red Cross Knight but Arthur should have slain the Dragon, as we find in Book-I. But we have seen in the classical epic, e.g. The Iliad several heroic characters. In The Iliad although Achilles is its chief hero, there are several other heroes like Diomedes, Agamemnon and Hector. Similarly, we have in The Faerie Queene separate books, each with its separate hero. But Arthur like Achilles in The Iliad has eclipsed all other Knights and has proved himself worthy of Gloriana.

Epic similar is one of the important technical devices of epic and Spenser has introduced epic similes which are broad in their comparisons and bring the pictures clearly before our eyes. In Canto I, stanza 21 of The Faerie Queene, the poet uses an epic simile to describe the evil impact of the Roman catholic priests, symbolised by the monster Error's offsprings, as compared to the ugly creatures who are brought to life by the fertile mud of the Nile after the flood.

"As when old father Nilus gins to swell With timely pride above the Aegyptain vale, His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell,And overflow each plaine and lowly dale ............................................... Such ugly monstrous shapes elsewhere may no man reed."

Spenser has introduced supernatural machinery of dream and fancies. Archimago the wicked magician sends a,spirit to the house of Morpheus, the god of sleep, who lives in the subterranean world. Archimago obtains from Morpheus a particular kind of dream which is brought to him by the spirit. Thus this is a technical device adopted by Spenser to The Faerie Queene as an epic.

But although The Faerie Queene has been written in the style of an epic, it cannot be denied that it also has qualities of romance in it. By combining romance and epic, Spenser has created the romantic epic such as Ariosto has produced in Qrlando Furioso.

In the Elizabethan Age, the epic writer was morally bound to give some moral lesson in his story. Spenser has done the same thing. The object of The Faerie Queene is to discipline a young man in noble virtues.

Further, the unity of the poem which is an important characteristic of the epic, is not well maintained. The structure of The Faerie Queene is loose and rambling, as the poet advances in the latter books. There are digressions which create variety but they have proved to be a hindrance in the way of the epic. They lead us to a land of dreams which suit more for romance rather than for the epic.

To sum up, we can say that The Faerie Queene is not an epic like the classical epics of Homer and Virgil, but it is a romantic epic based on the style and method of Ariosto's Orlando Furiose but Spenser differs from him in his moral tone.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

The Renaissance, or the Revival of learning, during the Elizabethan age was characterised by certain features broadly represented in the works of Spenser. Spenser is called the child of the Renaissance and the Reformation, because in his works we have the finest expression of the ideals and principles of the classical Renaissance and the Reformation.

The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern world. The new age was characterised by the spirit of adventure, love for beauty, moral earnestness, a love for richness and magnificence, liking for material luxuries, power and pelf and, above all, by a desire to revive the ideals and practices of classical poets and philosophers of Greece and Rome.

Greek philosophical thought had deeply influenced the Renaissance thought, and Spenser, as the Child of the Renaissance, is influenced by the Greek philosophic thought, which he embodies in The Faerie Queene. Spenser draws from Aristotle the plan of The Faerie Queene. The idea of The Faerie Queene, to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline, is derived from Aristotle.

During the period of the Renaissance, there was an air of seriousness, moral earnestness and moral teaching. Virtue was idealised. Spenser is quite in tune and harmony with this classical insistence of the Renaissance for moral elevation and teaching. In The Faerie Queene he tries to present through Arthur the figure of a perfect virtuous man. The Faerie Queene seeks to be an epic, not of fictitious adventure, but of morality and virtue. Spenser's poem may be ranked with those of Homer and Virgil, Ariosto and Tasso, because of its moral purpose and loftiness.

The fashion of the Renaissance scholars was to write in the form of allegory, and Spenser also makes good use of the genre.

The Reformation was a religious movement based on the opposition of the people to the claims of Papal authority and the Church of Rome. The Reformation was a Protestant rising against Roman Catholicism. Spenser, like his other contemporaries, is affected by the movement of the Reformation, and in spirit of his enthusiasm for the Renaissance ideals of beauty, luxury and art, he does not show any disrespect against Roman Catholicism. In spirit of his study of Plato, Aristotle, and Ariosto, Spenser keeps his adoration of the Bible on a higher level, and his life presents him as true Christian.

The first book of The Faerie Queene is, in fact, an epitome of the history of Reformation. It vividly presents the struggle between the forces of Protestantism headed by Queen Elizabeth, represented in the book as Una, and the forces of Roman Catholicism headed by Mary, Queen of Scots, represented in the book as Duessa. Una is shown as the fountain head of all the virtues to be found in a devout Protestant and Duessa stands for the vices tainting Roman Catholicism. Una is the embodiment of truth and true Church, humility and innocence, whereas Duessa stands for pride, luxury and all other evils found in Roman Catholicism.

The Faerie Queene represents the Reformation at its peak. Though Davis says that Spenser's Christianity is overlaid with the paganism of the Renaissance, yet it is Christianity which has not been driven away by paganism. The heart of Spenser is solidly rooted in Christianity and he reveals himself as a devoted Christian in The Faerie Queene.

"Spenser is at once a child of the Renaissance and the Reformation". Discuss?

Green Land | June 14, 2022 | 0 comments

The Renaissance, or the Revival of learning, during the Elizabethan age was characterised by certain features broadly represented in the works of Spenser. Spenser is called the child of the Renaissance and the Reformation, because in his works we have the finest expression of the ideals and principles of the classical Renaissance and the Reformation.

The Renaissance marked the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the modern world. The new age was characterised by the spirit of adventure, love for beauty, moral earnestness, a love for richness and magnificence, liking for material luxuries, power and pelf and, above all, by a desire to revive the ideals and practices of classical poets and philosophers of Greece and Rome.

Greek philosophical thought had deeply influenced the Renaissance thought, and Spenser, as the Child of the Renaissance, is influenced by the Greek philosophic thought, which he embodies in The Faerie Queene. Spenser draws from Aristotle the plan of The Faerie Queene. The idea of The Faerie Queene, to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline, is derived from Aristotle.

During the period of the Renaissance, there was an air of seriousness, moral earnestness and moral teaching. Virtue was idealised. Spenser is quite in tune and harmony with this classical insistence of the Renaissance for moral elevation and teaching. In The Faerie Queene he tries to present through Arthur the figure of a perfect virtuous man. The Faerie Queene seeks to be an epic, not of fictitious adventure, but of morality and virtue. Spenser's poem may be ranked with those of Homer and Virgil, Ariosto and Tasso, because of its moral purpose and loftiness.

The fashion of the Renaissance scholars was to write in the form of allegory, and Spenser also makes good use of the genre.

The Reformation was a religious movement based on the opposition of the people to the claims of Papal authority and the Church of Rome. The Reformation was a Protestant rising against Roman Catholicism. Spenser, like his other contemporaries, is affected by the movement of the Reformation, and in spirit of his enthusiasm for the Renaissance ideals of beauty, luxury and art, he does not show any disrespect against Roman Catholicism. In spirit of his study of Plato, Aristotle, and Ariosto, Spenser keeps his adoration of the Bible on a higher level, and his life presents him as true Christian.

The first book of The Faerie Queene is, in fact, an epitome of the history of Reformation. It vividly presents the struggle between the forces of Protestantism headed by Queen Elizabeth, represented in the book as Una, and the forces of Roman Catholicism headed by Mary, Queen of Scots, represented in the book as Duessa. Una is shown as the fountain head of all the virtues to be found in a devout Protestant and Duessa stands for the vices tainting Roman Catholicism. Una is the embodiment of truth and true Church, humility and innocence, whereas Duessa stands for pride, luxury and all other evils found in Roman Catholicism.

The Faerie Queene represents the Reformation at its peak. Though Davis says that Spenser's Christianity is overlaid with the paganism of the Renaissance, yet it is Christianity which has not been driven away by paganism. The heart of Spenser is solidly rooted in Christianity and he reveals himself as a devoted Christian in The Faerie Queene.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

Spenser's pleasure, but also a medium for moral elevation. It is not only to amuse but also to teach the doctrine of noble behaviour and righteous action. The Faerie Queen stands out as a monument of the moral principles emphasising all the cardinal virtues of human life. The general purpose of The Faerie Queene is "to fashion a gentle man or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.

"Spenser's conception of poetry is derived from Aristotle and Plato, who regard poets as moral teachers. Equally influenced by Homer, Spenser believes that Homer opened the way for moral edification. Thus following the examples of classical poets, Spenser introduces high seriousness, morality and didacticism.

Spenser borrows the delicate and refined forms of Platonic philosophy to express his moral idealism. He loves all that is noble and pure. He seems to have been fired with a passionate sense of moral beauty. The outer beauty is to him but the expression of the inner beauty of the soul. He thinks after Plato that the reality of a heavenly beauty is known in and by the soul only whereas the earthly beauty is recognised by the senses. The beauty form of beauty. This wisdom or spiritual beauty inflames a man's heart when it is seen by him. U a in the first book of The Faerie Queene represents not only the Protestant Church but also this truth. Duessa stands for the Catholic Church and its forces. The manhood or Holiness is represented by the Red Cross Knight, and Archimago, the hypocrisy of intriguing and tricky Catholics. Giant Orgoglio represents the common vulgar pride in the power of the world. Thus the first book of The Faerie Queene gives, in an allegorical form of the history, English Reformation.Those who read Spenser's Faerie Queene at once recognises in him a devout and ardent puritan and protestant defending the English Reformation against the supremacy of Rome and Papal authority. He certainly moralises his song successfully and proves the truth of what he says at an earlier stage-

'Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralise my song'

While we go through The Faerie Queene, we have the impression that Spenser is a puritan. He gives a conflict between the spirit of the Renaissance and that of the Reformation. He works to bring about their reconciliation. Renaissance gave sanction for the enjoyment of the good things of life on earth, but the Reformation put a ban on the sensuous life of enjoyment. To the supporter of the Reformation, the good things of the earth are but a temptation. Spenser finds out between these two things that correspondence which is necessary for their reconciliation. He makes an allegorical approach and points out that the things on the earth are but reflections of things in heaven. Earthly love and earthly beauty are the reflections of heavenly love and heavenly beauty.

Spenser certainly loves beauty, but he is not merely confined to the earthly beauty. He thinks of heavenly beauty and heavenly love. Spenser harmonised the world of the Renaissance with that of Reformation. Behind the pictures that he paints like a great sensuous artist, there is the heart of the devout Christian that never allows the sensuous pleasures to override the considerations of a noble and virtuous life.

Spenser's puritanic spirit

Green Land | June 14, 2022 | 0 comments

Spenser's pleasure, but also a medium for moral elevation. It is not only to amuse but also to teach the doctrine of noble behaviour and righteous action. The Faerie Queen stands out as a monument of the moral principles emphasising all the cardinal virtues of human life. The general purpose of The Faerie Queene is "to fashion a gentle man or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.

"Spenser's conception of poetry is derived from Aristotle and Plato, who regard poets as moral teachers. Equally influenced by Homer, Spenser believes that Homer opened the way for moral edification. Thus following the examples of classical poets, Spenser introduces high seriousness, morality and didacticism.

Spenser borrows the delicate and refined forms of Platonic philosophy to express his moral idealism. He loves all that is noble and pure. He seems to have been fired with a passionate sense of moral beauty. The outer beauty is to him but the expression of the inner beauty of the soul. He thinks after Plato that the reality of a heavenly beauty is known in and by the soul only whereas the earthly beauty is recognised by the senses. The beauty form of beauty. This wisdom or spiritual beauty inflames a man's heart when it is seen by him. U a in the first book of The Faerie Queene represents not only the Protestant Church but also this truth. Duessa stands for the Catholic Church and its forces. The manhood or Holiness is represented by the Red Cross Knight, and Archimago, the hypocrisy of intriguing and tricky Catholics. Giant Orgoglio represents the common vulgar pride in the power of the world. Thus the first book of The Faerie Queene gives, in an allegorical form of the history, English Reformation.Those who read Spenser's Faerie Queene at once recognises in him a devout and ardent puritan and protestant defending the English Reformation against the supremacy of Rome and Papal authority. He certainly moralises his song successfully and proves the truth of what he says at an earlier stage-

'Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralise my song'

While we go through The Faerie Queene, we have the impression that Spenser is a puritan. He gives a conflict between the spirit of the Renaissance and that of the Reformation. He works to bring about their reconciliation. Renaissance gave sanction for the enjoyment of the good things of life on earth, but the Reformation put a ban on the sensuous life of enjoyment. To the supporter of the Reformation, the good things of the earth are but a temptation. Spenser finds out between these two things that correspondence which is necessary for their reconciliation. He makes an allegorical approach and points out that the things on the earth are but reflections of things in heaven. Earthly love and earthly beauty are the reflections of heavenly love and heavenly beauty.

Spenser certainly loves beauty, but he is not merely confined to the earthly beauty. He thinks of heavenly beauty and heavenly love. Spenser harmonised the world of the Renaissance with that of Reformation. Behind the pictures that he paints like a great sensuous artist, there is the heart of the devout Christian that never allows the sensuous pleasures to override the considerations of a noble and virtuous life.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

Edmund Spenser was a great metrical artist. He was the first conscious inventor of a distinct kind of poetic diction and prosody. He knew and studied to his best advantage three metrical systems prevailing in his time. (i) The quantitative system of the classics, (ii) the syllabic system of the French writers and (iii) the system of Chaucer. Spenser experimented with all the three and learned something from each.

The most brilliant invention of Spenser in the field of versification is the Spenserian stanza- a stanza form which has made him immortal. The Spenserian stanza is a long stanza consisting of nine lines; the first eight lines are iambic Pentameter. The ninth line is a longer one. It consists of twelve syllables, or in other words, it is an Alexandrine. The rhyme scheme of Spenser's stanza is ab ab bc bc c. It will be seen that one rhyme 'b' is repeated four times and the other 'c' three times. This makes the stanza a very difficult one, for the poet who uses it must find for every stanza as many as four words having the same end sound. But Spenser has showed great skill in use.

Spenser is the master of music and melody and he knows the art of creating harmony. He uses the following devices to produce music in his verse.

First of all, he uses in quick succession a number of liquid vowels and consonants as 'o' 'u' 'l' 'm' 'n' etc. Secondly, he makes judicious use of onomatopoeic words i.e. words whose sound echoes their sense. These two devices are best illustrated by the passage below;

And more to lulle him in his slumber soft, A trickling stream from high rocke tumbling downe,And ever drizzling raine upon the loft. Mixed with this murmuring winde much like the sowne; Of swarming Bees did cast him in a swowne."

Thirdly, he makes effective use of medial rhymes and alliteration. He allures the readers along with "cunning baits of alliteration." Alliteration with him is not a mere embellishment as with lesser poets. It has a music of its own, as it continually echoes the sense. Spenser also employs rhyme and assonance to create music. For this, he frequently duplicate the effect of end rhyme through unobtrusive sound echo or medial assonance within the verse:

Lo! now she is that stone; from whose two heads As from two weeping eyes, fresh streams do flow, Yet cold through fear and old conceived dreads; And yet the stone her semblance seems to show; Shapt like a maid, that such ye may her know

To sum up, Spenser's stanza form is suited to all the purposes of a long poem like The Faerie Queene. It is suited to a description of landscape, to the elaborate epic simile, to a description of particular scenes, situations and events. It is also suited to the sketches of persons and to the analysis of thoughts and feelings.

Spenser's skill as a metrical artist

Green Land | June 14, 2022 | 0 comments

Edmund Spenser was a great metrical artist. He was the first conscious inventor of a distinct kind of poetic diction and prosody. He knew and studied to his best advantage three metrical systems prevailing in his time. (i) The quantitative system of the classics, (ii) the syllabic system of the French writers and (iii) the system of Chaucer. Spenser experimented with all the three and learned something from each.

The most brilliant invention of Spenser in the field of versification is the Spenserian stanza- a stanza form which has made him immortal. The Spenserian stanza is a long stanza consisting of nine lines; the first eight lines are iambic Pentameter. The ninth line is a longer one. It consists of twelve syllables, or in other words, it is an Alexandrine. The rhyme scheme of Spenser's stanza is ab ab bc bc c. It will be seen that one rhyme 'b' is repeated four times and the other 'c' three times. This makes the stanza a very difficult one, for the poet who uses it must find for every stanza as many as four words having the same end sound. But Spenser has showed great skill in use.

Spenser is the master of music and melody and he knows the art of creating harmony. He uses the following devices to produce music in his verse.

First of all, he uses in quick succession a number of liquid vowels and consonants as 'o' 'u' 'l' 'm' 'n' etc. Secondly, he makes judicious use of onomatopoeic words i.e. words whose sound echoes their sense. These two devices are best illustrated by the passage below;

And more to lulle him in his slumber soft, A trickling stream from high rocke tumbling downe,And ever drizzling raine upon the loft. Mixed with this murmuring winde much like the sowne; Of swarming Bees did cast him in a swowne."

Thirdly, he makes effective use of medial rhymes and alliteration. He allures the readers along with "cunning baits of alliteration." Alliteration with him is not a mere embellishment as with lesser poets. It has a music of its own, as it continually echoes the sense. Spenser also employs rhyme and assonance to create music. For this, he frequently duplicate the effect of end rhyme through unobtrusive sound echo or medial assonance within the verse:

Lo! now she is that stone; from whose two heads As from two weeping eyes, fresh streams do flow, Yet cold through fear and old conceived dreads; And yet the stone her semblance seems to show; Shapt like a maid, that such ye may her know

To sum up, Spenser's stanza form is suited to all the purposes of a long poem like The Faerie Queene. It is suited to a description of landscape, to the elaborate epic simile, to a description of particular scenes, situations and events. It is also suited to the sketches of persons and to the analysis of thoughts and feelings.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene

Conventionally an ancient writer, while commencing an epic poem, invoked the help and the blessings of the Muse of epic poetry. Actually the name of the Muse of epic poetry was Calliope. But Spenser here invokes the help, not of the Muse of epic poetry but of history whose name was Clio. The poet invokes the help of this Muse of history because, in the course of his epic namely The Faerie Queene, he wishes to make occasional references to historical events and historical personages. Clio's function was to record the deeds of heroes; and Spenser wishes his poem to be regarded partly as a historical poem. He invokes Clio as the keeper of the records of the deeds which he is going to describe in his poem. Spenser here regards Clio as the chief of the nine Muses, although actually it was Calliope who was the chief of all the Muses. Thus, Spenser is here making a lax and inaccurate use of classical mythology.

We have also a glimpse into the didactic purpose of Spenser. The two chief themes of his epic poem are (i) the heroic deeds of the knights and (ii) the loves of the knights and the ladies. These were the two chief pursuits of chivalry of the medieval times. But Spenser also adds a third theme to these two. The third theme is allegory. The last line of the first stanza indicates all the three themes of Spenser's poem. "Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song." A moral allegory runs through the whole of Spenser's poem.

In addition to invoking the help of Clio, Cupid, Venus and Mars, Spenser seeks the patronage of Elizabeth, the reigning Queen of England at the time. Those were the days when royal patronage was very important. Spenser showers glowing epithets on Queen Elizabeth whose radiance he compares to the light of the sun.

Describe the significance of the invocation of The Faerie Queene?

Green Land | June 14, 2022 | 0 comments

Conventionally an ancient writer, while commencing an epic poem, invoked the help and the blessings of the Muse of epic poetry. Actually the name of the Muse of epic poetry was Calliope. But Spenser here invokes the help, not of the Muse of epic poetry but of history whose name was Clio. The poet invokes the help of this Muse of history because, in the course of his epic namely The Faerie Queene, he wishes to make occasional references to historical events and historical personages. Clio's function was to record the deeds of heroes; and Spenser wishes his poem to be regarded partly as a historical poem. He invokes Clio as the keeper of the records of the deeds which he is going to describe in his poem. Spenser here regards Clio as the chief of the nine Muses, although actually it was Calliope who was the chief of all the Muses. Thus, Spenser is here making a lax and inaccurate use of classical mythology.

We have also a glimpse into the didactic purpose of Spenser. The two chief themes of his epic poem are (i) the heroic deeds of the knights and (ii) the loves of the knights and the ladies. These were the two chief pursuits of chivalry of the medieval times. But Spenser also adds a third theme to these two. The third theme is allegory. The last line of the first stanza indicates all the three themes of Spenser's poem. "Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song." A moral allegory runs through the whole of Spenser's poem.

In addition to invoking the help of Clio, Cupid, Venus and Mars, Spenser seeks the patronage of Elizabeth, the reigning Queen of England at the time. Those were the days when royal patronage was very important. Spenser showers glowing epithets on Queen Elizabeth whose radiance he compares to the light of the sun.

Edmund Spenser , The Faerie Queene