EDUCATIONWELL

 

Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

Edmund Spenser was well known English Poet in   Elizabethan age. He was appointed as Governor of Ireland by Queen  Elizabeth.  He was faced a rebellion against English army by Irish people. He was worked as a spy for Queen Elizabeth in Ireland. When Irish people were known about truth of Spenser who was leaked secret information of Irish rebel group. Irish People burnt Coleman, place of Spenser. In this incident, many parts of Spenser's writing was destroyed. 

Quotes 

1. " Spenser died for wants of bread."  - by Ben Jonson
2. "Spenser was born poor he lived poor and died poor"  - by Ben Jonson
3. "Heavenly Spenser" - By  Thomas Nash
4. "Spenser is not the great Sonneteers" by C.S Leavis.

Alexanderine:-  It is a form of 9 lines stanza. Rhyming Scheme is ab ab bc bc c, and last line 'c'  is called iambic hexameter is 'serpentine' by Alexander pope.

Works- 1. Shepherd's  Calender -  1579 Published.

1. Imitation of Virgil's Ecologues. ( Eclogues is also called Pastorals and Bucolic.)
2. Poem sung by Shepherds
3. This Work was dedicated to Philip Sydney.
4. Shepherd's Calender was written in pastoral tradition of Theocritus ( A Roman writer influenced spenser) 

Content - Girl Eliza- represents Queen Elizabeth

12 different songs- songs was sung by 12 Shepherds - it represents 12 different seasons/months of year.

It is believed that it inspired by countess of Pembroke(Sister of   Philip Sydney)

2. Fairie Queen-  

1.  it was published in 1590 with first three books and remained three books published in 1596. it was published in collective form in 1609.(six book and half part of Seventh book)
2. It is most famous work written by Edmund Spenser. it is  allegorical work. It was inspired to write it by Thomas Equinus.
3.  Spenser was planned to wrote 12 books, but unfortunately only six completed and Seven book was remaining uncomplete. It is believed that some parts of Fairie Queen was burnt Irish rebellion Coleman incident.
4. " Cloudily unwrapped in allegorical devices". - Spenser's Fairy Queen

Content- There are six books in Fairy Queen. Each book have a knight which represents to different virtures, like holiness, promise, chastity, friendship etc.

   

Book 1	Red Cross Knight	Virtue  of Holiness
Book 2	Sir Guyon	Virtue of Promise
Book 3	Lady Britomartics	Virtue of Chastity
Book 4	Cambell and Triamond	Virtue of  Friendship
Book 5	Sir Artegall	Virtue of Justice
Book 6	Sir Calidore	Virtue of Courtesy

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3. Epithalamion- it was published in 1595. it was  Wedding song. To celebrate his marriage with Eli

zabeth Boyle

4. Amoretti - it is collection of  89 sonnets. it was written in Petrarchan form.

5. Astrophel - it was published in 1595. it was Elegy on the death of Philip Sydney

6. Collin Cloud Come Home Again: - it is a poem written  for celebrated his arrival to Ireland. Collin Cloud is a symbolic represent Edmund Spenser

7. The Vision of the State of  Ireland:- 1596.

- only prose work ( Secret document that leaked by him to trouble Irish revolutionaries.)

8. Mother Hubbard's Tales-  it is vision which dealing with Mother Hubbard mythology.

9. Daphanide- Elegy - death of Douglas Howard.

10. Ruins of Time.

11. Tears of Muses- long lyric

12. Virgin's Net