Book Cover of The Faerie Queene

The Faerie Queene, Book 1

by Edmund Spenser

The Faerie Queene is an English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. Books I–III were first published in 1590, then republished in 1596 together with books IV–VI. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: at over 36,000 lines and over 4,000 Stanzas it is one of the longest poems in the English language; it is also the work in which Spenser invented the verse form known as the Spenserian stanza. On a literal level, the poem follows several knights as a means to examine different virtues, and though the text is primarily an allegorical work, it can be read on several levels of allegory, including as praise (or, later, criticism) of Queen Elizabeth I. In Spenser's "Letter of the Authors", he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in Allegorical devices", and that the aim of publishing The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline".

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

Early Modern English

Published In

1590

Author

Edmund Spenser image

Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsm...

More on Edmund Spenser

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

An Autumn Invitation Cover image

An Autumn Invitation by Edward Capern

In Edward Capern's enchanting poem, "An Autumn Invitation," the reader is swept away to a world ablaze with the vibrant hues of autumn. With rhythmic...

The Fall of Troy Cover image

The Fall of Troy by Quintus Smyrnaeus

The Fall of Troy is a fourteen-book epic poem by Quintus Smyrnaeus, a Greek poet who lived in the late 4th century AD. The poem continues the narratio...

A Friend in Need Cover image

A Friend in Need by Dora Sigerson Shorter

"A Friend in Need is a poem about the power of friendship and the importance of helping others." A Friend in Need is a poem by Dora Sigerson Shorter...

The Dream Cover image

The Dream by John Donne

Would you wake up from a dream if it were the most beautiful dream you have ever had? In John Donne's poem The Dream, the speaker finds himself in su...

The Undying One and Other Poems Cover image

The Undying One and Other Poems by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

In "The Undying One and Other Poems" by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, the timeless echoes of passion and resilience reverberate through the pages,...

Bill & Doreen's Married Life Cover image

Bill & Doreen's Married Life by C. J. Dennis

"Bill and Doreen's Married Life" is a hilarious and heartwarming account of the ups and downs of married life. Bill and Doreen are a young couple who...

Epitaph on a Hare Cover image

Epitaph on a Hare by William Cowper

The poem describes the death of a hare and the speaker's reflection on the fleeting nature of life. The poem consists of six stanzas, each with four l...

Tristram and Iseult & Sohrab and Rustum  Cover image

Tristram and Iseult & Sohrab and Rustum by Matthew Arnold

The poem opens with Tristam upon his deathbed. The monologue of the dying man is shot through with sharp pangs of regret: centering upon his induced...

Grandma Janice's Poems and Stories Cover image

Grandma Janice's Poems and Stories by Various

The poems and stories in this collection were selected with the reader’s grandchildren in mind. “The Raggedy Man” and “Little Orphant Annie,” both by...

The Garden of Dreams Cover image

The Garden of Dreams by Madison Cawein

Step into the Garden of Dreams, where reality and fantasy collide. The Garden of Dreams by Madison Cawein is a collection of enchanting poems that tr...

Reviews for The Faerie Queene, Book 1

No reviews posted or approved, yet...