ENGL 2600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: The Faerie Queene, Spenserian Stanza, Preface
Document Summary
: spenser, "the letter to raleigh" (225-228); biographical note. Spenser is considered part of the english trinity: milton, spenser, shakespeare. Classical poetry career: pastory georgic epic (delicate self-fashioning) By ensample of which excellente poets, i labour to pourtraict in arthure, before he was king, the image of brave knight to some i know this methode will seeme displeasaunt. Which had rather have good discipline delivered plainly in way of precepts or sermoned at large as they use, then thus cloudily enwrapped in allegorical devices . The letter at the end of the book is key to understanding the faerie queene. Invents unique, idiosyncratic form; deliberately archaic or distressed language. Spenserian stanza abab bcbc c (iambic pentameter; final c is alexandrine ; iambic hexameter) Serial form; like a sonnet sequence (each stanza highly wrought, self-contained poem, but propels to next stanza) The poem was a clear effort to win court favor .
