The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser

                First off, I must confess that I’ve only read Book I of The Faerie Queene, so this is not a full overview of Spenser’s masterpiece. Of itself, however, Book I gives me plenty of material for this post.

                About the Poet 

                Spenser was a 16th century British poet, a Christian, and a man who seemed determined to court Queen Elizabeth’s favor. The first three books of The Faerie Queene , he presented to her and thereupon received a life pension of £50—although whether Queen Elizabeth ever read a line of the poem is open to doubt.

                16th century? Did they even speak English back then?

                Given that it’s over 400 years old, The Faerie Queene is laden with obsolete words and archaic spelling. (The people of the 16th had even more of a penchant for silent e’s than we do today.) It’s still readable and mostly comprehendible, but  I would suggest looking for updated or annotated versions to ease the reading process.

My appreciation to Roy Maynard for his “updated and annotated” version. Without him, I would have grasped some major points but perhaps never figured out whether or not the main character died during the course of the story.

                An Excerpt

The book begins with the following majestic stanza. I suggest you read it aloud.

Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did mask

(As time her taught) in lowly Shepherds’ weeds,

Am now enforced a far unfitter task,

For trumpets stern, to change mine Oaten reeds,

And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;

Whose praises having slept in silence long,

Me, all too mean, the sacred Muse areeds

To blazen broad amongst her learned throng:

Fierce wars and faithful loves shall moralize my song.

                Pause for a moment and appreciate that.

                Language, Skill, Allegory

                Microsoft Word underlines four words in the above stanza (whilome, unfitter, areeds, and blazen, in case you’re curious). Some other words are used in unfamiliar ways, and I do not know what “Oaten” means. I also suspect this version of having updated spelling, to make it easier for modern readers.

                Nonetheless, it is recognizably English, we can grasp the gist of what he’s saying, and meaning isn’t necessarily the most important aspect of a poem. Note his almost martial use of syllabic meter; recognize his rhyme scheme and his use of alliteration. This is a stanza that it is a pleasure to read aloud.

                This skill with language marks Spenser as one of the greatest of English poets, while George Gascoigne, Barnabe Googe, and George Turberville have been forgotten. (No, I don’t know who they are either. I googled “obscure Elizabethan poets”.)

                Another aspect that sets Spenser apart is his masterful use of allegory. The Faerie Queene is at face value, a story about a Knight and his Lady who face monster after monster on a quest. But the names of the characters and the events indicate a deeper level of meeting. The Faerie Queene is probably the second most significant allegory of the Christian life (the first being John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.)

                I won’t say much more, since all stories and allegories can be ruined by overmuch talking, but in my opinion Spenser paints thoughtful and vivid pictures of the dangers we all face in our journey towards holiness—and if you’re into classical poetry and allegory, I would urge you to give Spenser a try.