Edmund Spenser (1552-99)
The Faerie Queene
(1590, 1596)


Things to Consider:
  • Conventions of Traditional Epic Poetry
  • Political vs. Spiritual/Religious Allegory
  • Comparisons with other Christian Knights:
    • Beowulf
    • Sir Gawain
  • Portrayal and Treatment of Women
  • Spenserian Sonnet (abab bcbc cdcd ee)
  • Spenserian Stanza (ababbcbcc)

Discussion Questions (See Part Two  and Part Three ):
449:

450:

452:

Book One
Canto One:
455-56:

458:

463:

Canto Two:
469:

470-71:

472:


Other Discussion Questions:
450:

451-52:

452;

453:

454:

456:
458:
460:
461:
462:
464:
469:
471:
472:
474:
475:

Part Two
Discussion Questions:
Canto Four:
476:
476-77:
479:
484:
Canto Nine:
488:
490-91:
493:
Canto Ten:
496-97:
499:
499-500:

Other Discussion Questions:
478:
480:

481:

481-82:
482:

483:

484:
485:
487:

488:

489:
491:
495:
497:

498:


Part Three
Discussion Questions:
Canto Eleven:
500:

502:

502-3:
507-8:
511-12: