Showing results by author "Edmund Spenser" in All Categories

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement: the first epic poem in modern English. The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error.

Edmund Spenser first published The Faerie Queene in 1590. The poem tells of the adventures of the Redcross Knight and the Lady Una. The kingdom of Una's royal parents is menaced by a dragon and the queen of Fairyland, Gloriana, commissions Redcross to accompany Una to her parents' faraway kingdom to slay the dragon. This prose retelling of the poem, for children, attempts to retain some sense of the original Elizabethan poetic language.

This epic poem by Edmund Spenser is the longest poem in the English language. It is an allegorical work, written in praise of Queen Elizabeth I. Michael MacLiammoir reads a selection from Book III.

Perhaps the most universally admired poem of this type. Written in 1595, Epithalamion is a poem written specifically for a bride.

One of the greatest of English poets, Edmund Spenser was born in East Smithfield, London, in 1552 and went to school at Merchant Taylors' School and later at Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 1579, he published The Shepheardes Calender, his first major work. Edmund journeyed to Ireland in July 1580, in the service of the newly appointed Lord Deputy, Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton. His time included the terrible massacre at the Siege of Smerwick. The epic poem The Faerie Queene is acknowledged as Edmund’s masterpiece.

The office of Poet Laureate is a high honour amongst poets. The ancient Greeks had the first idea, and their heroes and poets wore wreaths of laurel in honour of the god Apollo. Many countries now have a laureate, as do many societies and organisations. But perhaps ranked first among them all is that of our own Poet Laureate. Unfortunately no single authentic definitive record exists of the office of Poet Laureate of England. In some form it can be traced back to 1189 and Richard Canonicus, who was employed by Richard I with the title 'versificator Regis'.

Explore the enchanting world of love and longing in Amoretti, a captivating collection of sonnets that beautifully capture the essence of romantic passion. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt emotion, each poem invites you to experience the highs and lows of love, making it a timeless journey that resonates with the heart.

In a chance encounter while hunting, the young Anchises stumbles upon the enchanting forest retreat of Venus. Captivated by her hospitality, he finds himself entwined in a tale that leads to his becoming the proud father of Aeneas, the legendary hero of Vergils Aeneid. This poem is an epyllion, echoing the style of Marlowes Hero and Leander and Shakespeares Venus and Adonis, presenting a brief yet evocative narrative steeped in mythology. Written in the elegant Spenserian style with rhyming stanzas of ababbccc, Brittains Ida, published in 1628, was mistakenly attributed to Edmund Spenser. ...

Epithalamion is an ode included in an anthology, Amoretti, first published in 1595. Spenser's purpose was to celebrate his courtship of Elizabeth Boyle whose marriage with him is glorified in the Epithalamion.

Explore the timeless dance of love and devotion through the lens of poetic expression. This collection delves into the intricate dynamics of romantic pursuit and the emotional highs and lows that accompany it. These sonnets capture the essence of admiration, longing, and the eternal quest for connection, offering listeners a glimpse into the nuanced world of courtship and affection. Each week, our podcast presents a new full-length audiobook, carefully selected to bring you a diverse array of perspectives and styles from different times and places. This isn't a single narrative but a rich ...

In Faerie Queene, Spenser envisioned an ambitious 24-book romance-epic, ultimately completing half of the first part. The initial twelve books focus on the development of virtues within the individual soul, while the latter twelve were intended to explore how these virtues can address the evils of the world. Each quest begins at the court of the enchanting Fairy Queen, Gloriana, where knights embark on journeys to confront personal weaknesses before proving themselves worthy to tackle greater challenges in the outside world. The narrative, while intricately structured, becomes particularly ...

Amoretti by Edmund Spenser is a collection of 89 sonnets celebrating the poet’s courtship and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle. Written in the Petrarchan tradition, the sonnets chronicle themes of love, longing, and devotion, blending passionate desire with spiritual reverence. Spenser portrays love as both a trial and a source of transcendent joy, often drawing on nature and mythological imagery to convey his emotions. Central to the sequence is the idea of love's permanence, culminating in marriage as an enduring union. The series reflects Renaissance ideals of beauty, virtue, and ...