1. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 1 Edmund Spenser The Fairy Queen

2. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 2 FQ: Cultural/Historical Contexts Humanism Reformation (Anglican: 1535 -- ) English nationalism & expansion –New World colonization; sea power 1584 - 1588 - 1607 - 1620 Court contexts of literature –audience - patronage, favor - classical models

3. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 3 FQ: Nuts and Bolts author language verse form date structure (actual/planned)

4. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 4 FQ: Genre(s) sec. epic, in allegorical mode, w/ romance plot elements, to teach noble/virtuous behavior (mirror for gentlepersons; a.k.a. “courtesy book”) epic –techniques: Homeric/epic similes, in medias res, invocations of Muses, etc. romance plot elements compare Star Wars

5. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 5 FQ: Genres, cont’d. allegory (def.) –types: personification, typological (defs.) –also, “geographic/architectural” (def.) –levels (at least 4 possible for FQ) polysemy (def.) mirror for gentlepersons (or “courtesy book”)

6. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 6 FQ, Bk. 1: Major Episodes [Letter to Ralegh story background] canto 1 : Error’s wood cantos 1-2 : Archimago and Duessa cantos 4-5 : House of Pride/7 Sins cantos 7-8 : Orgoglio, Arthur to rescue

7. ENG 310A Spenser Slide 7 FQ, Bk. 1: Major Episodes, cont’d. canto 9 : Cave of Despair canto 10 : House of Holiness canto 11 : Dragon Fight canto 12 : Betrothal –classic fairy tale happy ending