POETRY-1 (ENG403) LECTURE – 13

Edmund Spenser Greatest poet of The English Renaissance Humanist Patriotic Skillful Lover of Physical Beauty

SPENSER’S INDIVIDUALITY Spensarian Stanza Archaic Language Original Spelling Punctuation Rhymes Etymologies Musical effects

The Faerie Queene Purpose of Writing The Faerie Queene How a Virtuous Man should Live Six books (1599) It is an allegory

THE FAERIE QUEENE AS AN ALLEGORY The Red Cross Knight: Holliness Lady Una: Truth, True Religion Portrayal of Roman Catholic Church as a Villain

INVOCATION Introduction Clio, the Goddess of History Cupid, God of Love Venus, the Goddess of Beauty Mars, the God of War The Queen

EPIC An epic is long narrative poem about a hero containing the following elements: “in media res” an invocation to the muse Battles Supernatural elements Journeys Descent to the Underworld Epic Similes

LONG NARRATIVE POEM Long Narration Story Contains Books & Parts

ABOUT A GREAT SOLDIER/HERO a great leader who is identified strongly with a particular people or society. “larger-than-life” and embodies loyalty, valor/ courage, sense of justice, dignity, persistence, and many other traits of his culture and time. Prince Arthur

“IN MEDIA RES” literally meaning “in the middle of things” The epic begins in media res and then flashes back to events that took place before the narrator’s current time setting The Faerie Queene begins in the middle.

INVOCATION TO THE MUSE Seek help from god or goddesses Spenser invokes the Muse

BATTLE/ DEEDS OF VALOUR does great deeds in battle or undertakes an extraordinary journey or quest. The knight undertakes the journey and has to fight against the monster, the magician.

SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS gods or other supernatural or fantastic beings take part in the action of the story. Inclusion of spirits

JOURNEYS The setting is broad and often includes supernatural realms, especially the land of the dead. Journey Underworld journey

EPIC SIMILES Elaborately extended comparisons relating heroic events to simple, everyday events using like, as, so, and just as The Simile of the river Nile.

LITERARY DEVICE Epithet: a descriptive phrase that presents a particular trait of a person or thing. It can be a quick aid to characterization. Transferred Epithet: when the characteristic feature of one thing is attributed to the other. Weary night

EPIC & ROMANCE Difference between Epic and Romance Hero Importance of Hero Structure

EPIC & ROMANCE The Epic Action Epic Similes Supernatural Machinery The Hero A Hybrid Epic A Romantic Epic

ELEMENTS OF THE RENAISSANCE Spirit of Adventure Love for Beauty Love for Richness & Magnificence Revival of Old Classical Literature Aristotle, Plato, Virgil, Ariosto & Tasso Classical mythology Seriousness, moral earnestness Tradition to Write in Epic form

ELEMENTS OF THE REFORMATION Religious Movement Revolt Against the Authority of Church Protestants rose against Roman Catholic Church Platonic, Epicurean but Protestant

RECAP OF LECTURE 13 The Faerie Queene Invocation Epic Epic Conventions Romance & Epic Elements of the Renaissance Elements of the Reformation