Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare Poetry

Edmund Spenser: The Poet's Poet

Edmund Spenser (c. 1552–1599) was an English poet best known for "The Faerie Queene," an epic poem and one of the longest poems in the English language. He is often called "the poet's poet" because of his influence on subsequent generations of English writers. Spenser's work is characterized by its elaborate style, archaic language, and complex allegorical meanings. He also played a significant role in the Elizabethan era, serving in administrative and diplomatic capacities.

"The Faerie Queene": An Allegorical Masterpiece

"The Faerie Queene" is Spenser's magnum opus, an unfinished allegorical epic poem. It was intended to comprise twelve books, each dedicated to a particular virtue, but only six were completed. The poem is set in a mythical Britain and follows the adventures of various knights who represent different virtues. The "Faerie Queene" herself is Gloriana, a representation of Queen Elizabeth I.

Structure and Form

Spenser invented a unique stanza form for "The Faerie Queene," known as the "Spenserian stanza." This nine-line stanza consists of eight iambic pentameter lines followed by a Alexandrine line (a line of twelve syllables). This complex structure allows for a flowing, lyrical quality that Spenser masterfully employed.

Allegory and Themes

The poem is a rich tapestry of allegory. Each knight represents a virtue, such as Holiness (Redcrosse Knight), Temperance (Sir Guyon), and Chastity (Britomart). The narrative explores the struggle between good and evil, faith and temptation, and the nature of virtue itself. It also serves as a celebration of Elizabethan England and its monarch.

Language and Style

Spenser deliberately used archaic language, drawing from Middle English, to give his poem a sense of grandeur and timelessness, evoking the legendary past. This linguistic choice, along with his intricate syntax and elaborate descriptions, contributes to his unique and often challenging style.

Other Works by Edmund Spenser

While "The Faerie Queene" is his most famous work, Spenser also penned other significant poems:

• "The Shepheardes Calender" (1579): A collection of twelve eclogues, one for each month of the year. It explores pastoral themes and uses a variety of poetic forms and dialects, showcasing Spenser's early skill and experimentation.
• "Amoretti" (published 1595): A sonnet sequence detailing his courtship of Elizabeth Boyle, whom he eventually married. The sequence charts the progress of love, from initial attraction to eventual union, often grappling with the frustrations and joys of love.
• "Epithalamion" (published 1595): A wedding hymn written for his marriage to Elizabeth Boyle. It is a lyrical and celebratory poem, rich in classical allusions and vivid imagery, describing the bride's journey to her groom.

Spenser's influence on later poets like Milton, Wordsworth, and Keats is undeniable. His innovations in poetic form and his mastery of allegory established him as a pivotal figure in English literature.

William Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. While best known for his plays, Shakespeare was also a prolific and masterful poet. His poetry often complements the themes and concerns found in his dramatic works, exploring love, time, beauty, and mortality with profound insight and lyrical grace.

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Shakespeare's sonnets, published in 1609, form a collection of 154 poems that explore a range of complex themes. They are typically divided into two sequences: the first 126 addressed to a young man (often referred to as the "Fair Youth"), and the remaining 28 addressed to a "Dark Lady."

Structure and Form

Shakespeare's sonnets adhere to the English (or Shakespearean) sonnet form. This consists of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter, with a specific rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. The structure is typically divided into three quatrains (four-line stanzas) followed by a final couplet (two-line stanza). The quatrains often develop an idea or argument, which is then resolved or commented upon in the concluding couplet.

Key Themes in the Sonnets

The sonnets delve into universal human experiences:

• Love: Explored in various forms – passionate, possessive, idealized, and unrequited.
• Beauty and Time: The sonnets grapple with the transience of beauty and the destructive power of time, often contrasting them with the potential for immortality through poetry.
• Mortality: The inevitable end of life is a recurring theme, prompting reflections on legacy and remembrance.
• Procreation: The importance of having children to preserve beauty and youth is a significant theme, especially in the early sonnets addressed to the Fair Youth.
• Jealousy and Betrayal: The relationship dynamics, particularly concerning the Dark Lady and a rival poet, introduce elements of suspicion and infidelity.

Notable Sonnets

Several sonnets are particularly famous and representative of the collection:

• Sonnet 18 ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"): Perhaps the most famous sonnet, it celebrates the beloved's eternal beauty, which will be preserved through the poem itself.
• Sonnet 116 ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds"): Defines true love as constant, unwavering, and eternal, not subject to change or the passage of time.
• Sonnet 130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"): A witty and realistic portrayal of love that subverts conventional Petrarchan love poetry by rejecting exaggerated comparisons and embracing the beloved's ordinary features.

Narrative Poems

Besides his sonnets, Shakespeare also wrote two long narrative poems:

• "Venus and Adonis" (1593): A sensuous and mythological poem that retells the story of the goddess Venus and the beautiful youth Adonis. It is notable for its vivid imagery and erotic tone.
• "The Rape of Lucrece" (1594): A darker, more somber poem based on the Roman legend of Lucretia's violation by Sextus Tarquinius. It explores themes of chastity, honor, and the consequences of sexual violence.

Poetic Style and Language

Shakespeare's poetry, like his plays, is characterized by its rich vocabulary, inventive use of metaphor and simile, and profound psychological insight. He masterfully employed the iambic pentameter, giving his verse a natural yet elevated rhythm. His language is both accessible and complex, capable of expressing the subtlest human emotions and the grandest philosophical ideas.

Both Spenser and Shakespeare, though working in slightly different eras and with distinct styles, represent pinnacles of Elizabethan and Jacobean poetry. Spenser, with his epic scope and intricate allegories, laid groundwork for poetic ambition, while Shakespeare, through his sonnets and narrative poems, explored the depths of human experience with unparalleled lyrical power and enduring relevance.

Comparison and Contrast

While both poets were masters of the English language, their approaches differed significantly:

Feature	Edmund Spenser	William Shakespeare
Primary Genre	Epic Poetry (The Faerie Queene)	Drama (Plays), Sonnets
Key Poetic Form	Spenserian Stanza	English (Shakespearean) Sonnet
Language	Archaic, elevated, deliberately antique	Rich, inventive, varied, more contemporary
Themes	Virtue, chivalry, national identity, religious allegory	Love, time, beauty, mortality, human relationships
Tone	Grand, didactic, romantic	Intimate, philosophical, witty, passionate
Influence	Epic tradition, poetic form	Sonnet tradition, dramatic poetry, lyrical expression

Spenser's work is more focused on external ideals and grand narratives of virtue and heroism, often filtered through a complex allegorical lens. Shakespeare, on the other hand, turns inward, exploring the intricacies of personal emotion, relationships, and the passage of time with a more direct, though equally profound, lyrical voice. Both poets, however, contributed immeasurably to the richness and development of English poetry.