ENGL 3543: English Literature I

John M. Mercer, Professor of English

Northeastern State University, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Study Guide 5: Spenser and Sidney

Revised 9-23-08

 

Renaissance (also called Early Modern Period) in England: 1485-1660

Tudor dynasty: 1485-1603

Elizabethan Period (reign of last Tudor monarch, Queen Elizabeth I): 1558-1603

 

Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser’s distinctions include

·        being the best Elizabethan nondramatic poet

  1. What is meant by “nondramatic poetry”?  “dramatic poetry”? 
  2. Who is universally considered to be the best Elizabethan dramatic poet?
    • writing the best romantic epic: The Faerie Queene
    • creating new verse forms, including

o       Spenserian stanza, used in The Faerie Queene

o       Spenserian sonnet, used in Amoretti

 

Background for The Faerie Queene, 714

According to Spenser’s “Letter of the Author’s” to Sir Walter Ralegh, his purpose in writing The Faerie Queene is to “fashion a gentleman or noble person in vertuous [sic] and gentle discipline.”  In other words, Spenser wanted to describe the character traits of a Christian gentleman. 

  1. Extra-credit reading:  Read and write a short response to Spenser’s “Letter of the Author’s” (716-19t).

 

In The Faerie Queene Spenser planned to write 12 books about the “private” moral virtues of a gentleman.  He completed only the first 6 books:

·        Book 1: Holiness

·        Book 2: Temperance

·        Book 3: Chastity

·        Book 4: Friendship

·        Book 5: Justice

·        Book 6: Courtesy

Spenser published books 1-3 in 1590 and books 1-6 in 1596.  He also had planned to write 12 books on “public” or “political” virtues. 

  1. What other important English writer died before completing a writing project that was too ambitious?

 

According to his letter to Ralegh, Spenser intended The Faerie Queene to be an allegory with two figurative levels of interpretation:

·        moral or spiritual level

·        historical, political, or topical level

  1. What allegory have we previously studied in this class?

 

Genre of The Faerie Queene

The Faerie Queene is a romantic epic, a genre developed in the 15th and 16th centuries by the Italians Ariosto and Tasso.  This genre combines elements of classical epic with medieval romance.  The classical epic on which Spenser relies most heavily is Virgil’s Aeneid.

  1. Identify the authors and titles of two classical epics from ancient Greece.
  2. Identify the authors (if known) and titles of two medieval romances we have studied in this class.

 

In The Faerie Queene, identify specific examples of each of the following elements of classical epic:

  1. statement of theme at beginning of poem (719, stanza 1; not part of required reading)
  2. invocation of muse at beginning of poem (719, stanza 2; not part of required reading)
  3. formal descriptions
  1. epic similes (725, stanzas 21-22; although these stanzas are not in the required reading, other epic similes are)
  2. supernatural intervention
  3. division of poem into 12 books

 

In The Faerie Queene, identify specific examples of each of the following elements of medieval romance:

  1. knights and damsels in distress
  2. romantic love
  3. magic
  4. complex, loose structure
  5. many characters and episodes
  6. verse form freely determined by poet

 

Verse Form of The Faerie Queene

For The Faerie Queene, Spenser created a nine-line stanza now called Spenserian stanza.  The rhyme scheme of each stanza is ababbcbcc.  (Memorize this rhyme scheme and be able to recognize it.)  The basic meter of each line except the last is iambic pentameter.  The basic meter of the 9th line of each stanza is iambic hexameter.  A line of iambic hexameter is called an Alexandrine because at one time poems about the exploits of Alexander the Great were written in this meter.

 

“The Bower of Bliss,” from The Faerie Queene, Book 2, Canto 12, page 857

The assigned reading from The Faerie Queene is a single episode usually referred to as “The Bower of Bliss.”  The plot of this episode is exciting and sensuous, but the language is not easy to read.  To help you follow the plot, use the questions below and any plot summaries or other information you can find on the Internet.

  1. Who is the hero of Book 2?  What gentlemanly virtue does he represent?  According to the “Summary” (page 857), what does this virtue involve? 
  2. Who is the Palmer?  According to your college dictionary, what is a “palmer”?
  3. In stanza 42 (page 857), what general description is given of the kinds of things found inside the Bower of Bliss?
  4. Because our reading begins in the middle of canto 12, the reference to “those unruly beasts” (line 381) just outside the garden’s fence is not clear.  These beasts, however, are identified toward the end of our assigned reading.  [Answer this question when you have completed the assigned reading]: Who are these beasts?  
  5. What are we told about the fence that encloses the garden (stanza 42)?  Why is it there?  How strong is it? 
  6. What is the gate (line 386) made of?  What mythological characters are carved on it?  Why are these particular characters chosen (see footnote)?  Extra-credit research: What more can you learn about these mythological characters and events that helps you better understand this poem?
  7. What description is given of the person who sits on the porch (stanza 46)? 
  8. Stanza 47 identifies this man as the “Genius” (meaning “presiding spirit”) of the Bower of Bliss.  Lines 416-25 explain that this Genius should not be confused with what other genius?  
  9. What are the functions of the Genius on the porch (lines 411, 427 ff.)?  [The abbreviation “ff.” means “and following.”]
  10. What does the Genius try to get Guyon to do?  How does Guyon react?  What is the symbolism of the two items Guyon breaks (see footnote)?
  11. Stanzas 50-51 describe the garden as Guyon and the Palmer experience it when they enter.  What senses are appealed to?   Summarize what we are told about the garden.
  12. In line 460, “then” means “than.” All of stanza 52 compares this garden to various places in classical mythology.  How does this garden rate in comparison with the others (see esp. line 460)?      
  13. In stanza 53, how does Guyon respond to these sensuous temptations?
  14. What description is given of the woman on the next porch they come to (493 ff.)?  What does she look like?  What does she want Guyon (and every passerby) to do?  What does Guyon do in response to her offer (505 ff.)?  What is her name (line 510)?
  15. Next, Guyon finally gets a full view of the beautiful garden. According to stanzas 58 and 59, has the garden been made primarily by art or by nature?  Is it primarily artificial or natural?
  16. According to stanza 60, what stands in the middle of the garden? 
  17. In lines 534-37, rearrange the phrases so they appear in the order they would in an ordinary sentence.     
  18. How is the fountain decorated (stanzas 60-61)?
  19. Whom does Guyon observe cavorting around in a beautiful fountain?
  20. Explain the epic simile in stanza 65.  What is the tenor (literal term) of the simile?  What is the vehicle (figurative term) of the simile?  What point does the simile make?
  21. At what precise point is Guyon tempted for the first time?  What happens as a result of his showing interest?
  22. What puts an end to Guyon’s temptation (stanza 69)?
  23. Who is Acrasia (pronounced “uh-KRAY-zhuh”)? 
  24. Who is with Acrasia in the Bower of Bliss, and what are they doing?
  25. What is the theme of the song that is sung in stanzas 74 and 75?
  26. In stanzas 77-78, what new information are we given about Acrasia’s appearance and activities?
  27. In stanzas 79-80, what are we told about the young man?  What objects has he hung in a tree?  These objects are symbols; they mean more than just what they literally are.  What do they symbolize?
  28. What do Sir Guyon and the Palmer do to Acrasia and Verdant?  What do they do to the garden?  Why?
  29. Who are the beasts whom Guyon and the Palmer encounter on the way out of the garden (stanza 85)?  What does the Palmer do to the beasts (stanza 86)?
  30. Who is Grille?  How does he react to what the Palmer has done?
  31. In stanza 87, what moral does Guyon take from Grille’s reaction?
  32. What is the definition of “bower”?  What part of the poem describes a “bower”?
  33. What is the definition of “bliss”?  With what kind of bliss is the Bower of Bliss associated?

 

 

Types of Sonnets

Learn this information!  You will need to know it not only throughout this unit but also in other units and courses.

  1. A sonnet is a type of lyric poem.  What is the purpose of lyric poetry?

 

Sonnets of all types share the following characteristics:

    • number of lines: 14 
    • basic meter: iambic pentameter
    • rhyme scheme: follows one of several set patterns
    • traditional subject: love

 

The different types of sonnets are set apart by the rhyme scheme.  Three types of sonnets studied in this unit are

·        Petrarchan or Italian sonnet

·        Shakespearean or English sonnet

·        Spenserian sonnet

 

The Petrarchan or Italian sonnet form was perfected by the Italian poet Petrarch in the 14th century.  It has the following characteristics:

·        First 8 lines (octave) rhyming abbaabba  

·        Last 6 lines (sestet)

o       no a or b rhymes

o       some combination of c, d or c, d, e rhymes, such as

§         cd cd cd

§         cde cde

§         cddc ee

·        Main shift in content (meaning), as in rhyme scheme (form, structure), usually comes right after line 8.  For example: 

o       Octave presents a problem, and sestet offers a solution, OR

o       Octave presents a situation, and sestet makes a comment on the situation.

 

The Shakespearean or English sonnet form was perfected by Shakespeare in the 1590s.  It has the following characteristics:

·        Three quatrains (groups of four lines) rhyming abab cdcd efef

·        One couplet (pair of lines) rhyming gg

·        Main shift in content (meaning), as in rhyme scheme (form, structure), usually comes right after line 12.  

 

The Spenserian sonnet form, created by Edmund Spenser in the 1590s for Amoretti and used by few other poets, is a variation on the Shakespearean sonnet.  The Spenserian sonnet has the following characteristics:

·        Three quatrains (groups of four lines) rhyming abab bcbc cdcd (interlocking rhymes)

·        One couplet (pair of lines) rhyming ee

·        Main shift in content (meaning), as in rhyme scheme (form, structure), usually comes right after line 12.

 

Conceits

A conceit is an ingenious metaphorical comparison.  Petrarchan conceits are those used by Petrarch, the creator of the sonnet.  Petrarchan conceits were original when Petrarch initially used them, but, after centuries of imitation by later poets, they became trite and overused.

  1. According to 975m, what are some of the most common Petrarchan conceits?  

 

Do not confuse Petrarchan conceits with the Petrarchan rhyme scheme.  Petrarchan conceits can appear in any love sonnet, regardless of the rhyme scheme. 

 

Spenser’s Amoretti

Amoretti means “little love poems.”  Spenser wrote this sonnet sequence (or sonnet cycle) about his relationship with Elizabeth Boyle, who became his second wife.

 

Amoretti, Sonnet 1, page 903

The speaker of this poem says he has written poetry in an attempt to win the woman he loves.

  1. To what dictionary definition of “leaves” (line 1), “lines” (line 5), and “rymes [rhymes]” (line 9) is the speaker referring?  (Use a standard hardback college dictionary, a necessary reference for reading and interpreting poems.  If you don’t have one, get one.  It’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make.)
  2. According to the speaker, the “leaves,” “lines” and “rymes” would be “happy” under what circumstances?
  3. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?  What structural sections does this rhyme scheme create?  Just as the rhyme scheme is different in each section, how does the content change from section to section?
  4. What does the speaker say in the last two lines?  How is the content of the last two lines different from the rest of the poem?

 

Amoretti, Sonnet 64, page 904

  1. What situation provides the starting point of this sonnet (line 1)?
  2. This sonnet is a blason (also spelled “blazon”), a poem of systematic praise that lists many separate details.  This is a typical Renaissance blason in that it praises the different parts of a woman’s body.  What do all the comparisons in this poem have in common?
  3. The couplet does not continue the blason but instead provides a shift in meaning.  What does the couplet say?  How does this add to the praise of the woman?   

 

Amoretti, Sonnet 68, page 905

1.  Spenser was a devout Protestant Christian, but in this poem he uses references to Christian         theology for an unexpected purpose.  What is that purpose?

2.  To whom are the first 12 lines of the poem addressed?  To whom are the last 2 lines       addressed?

  1. In lines 9, 10, 12, and 13, the speaker refers to 4 somewhat different kinds of love.  For each line, explain “Whose love?” “For whom?” and “What is the nature of this love?”
  2. In line 14, what different meanings could “Love” have?
  3. At what point in the poem does the main shift in the poem’s content and structure (rhyme scheme) occur?

 

Amoretti, Sonnet 75, page 906

  1. Unlike the other assigned sonnets from Amoretti, Sonnet 75 tells a personal narrative.  What events are narrated in lines 1-4?    
  2. What is the woman’s assertion in lines 5-8? 
  3. What is the speaker’s opposing argument in lines 9-14?
  4. What is the main point of the poem?

 

Amoretti, Sonnet 79, page 907

  1. To what kind of beauty does the speaker refer in lines 1-2?
  2. To what kind of beauty does the speaker refer in lines 3-4?  Which of the 2 beauties does the speaker think is more important?
  3. According to the rest of poem, WHY does the speaker place more importance on one type of beauty than on the other?

 

Background for Spenser’s Epithalamion

In answering these background questions, refer to pages 902(m)-03(m).

  1. What is an “epithalamion” (pronounced “ep-uh-thuh-LAY-mee-un”)?
  2. What is the occasion for Spenser’s writing this poem?
  3. Who is the speaker of the poem?
  4. The 5th edition of the Norton Anthology of English Literature states, “As A. Kent Hieatt has pointed out in his book, Short Time’s Endless Monument (1960), the poem . . . has a numerical structure that reinforces the motif of the passage of time.  For example, the poem has exactly 365 long lines (composed of 5 or more metrical feet) matching the number of days in the year.  There are 24 stanzas, counting the envoy, matching the hours of one day and night.  Of these stanzas, the first 16 describe the course of the day, in which the woods echo the various sounds; the last 8 describe the night, a time of silence in which the woods no longer echo.  At the summer solstice ([see] line 266 and [footnote]) in the latitude of Ireland, night falls after 16 hours of daylight.”   Extra-credit research: Beyond this brief summary, what can you learn about the number symbolism in this poem?
  5. How does the last line of each stanza, which serves as a refrain, change over the course of the poem.  In what stanza does the main shift in the refrain occur?  Why?

 

Epithalamion, page 907

In your textbook, number the stanzas of this poem. Identify the stanza numbers and line numbers that contain each of the following elements, most of which are borrowed from ancient Greek epithalamia:

  1. Invocation of the muse
  2. Awaking of the nymphs (girls who will be the bride’s attendants), who are to awake the bride
  3. Commanding of nymphs to bring flowers
  4. Commanding of nymphs to be well groomed
  5. Waking of the bride
  6. Dressing of the bride
  7. Prayer to protect the bride from sunburn
  8. Groom’s prayer that this one day will go as he wishes
  9. Playing of wedding music
  10. Public appearance of the bride
  11. Adoration of the beauty of the bride’s body and mind
  12. Entrance to the church 
  13. Wedding ceremony at altar
  14. Couple’s return home
  15. Ringing of wedding bells
  16. Groom’s regret that he has chosen to marry on the longest day of the year
  17. Appearance of the evening star
  18. Nightfall
  19. Welcoming of the night
  20. Plea for silence
  21. Consummation of the marriage
  22. Prayer for children to be born of this union (mentioned in three consecutive stanzas)
  23. Explanation of why this poem has been written
  24. Claim that the poem will be immortal

 

Sir Philip Sidney (1554-86), 947

In his personal life, Sidney was revered as the ideal Elizabethan courtier.

  1. How do the dates of the Elizabethan Period compare with the dates of Sidney’s life?
  2. What is a courtier?

 

In particular, Sidney was known for his

·        gallant behavior

    • strong Protestantism
    • early death at age 32 as a result of wounds received in battle in Netherlands

 

As an Elizabethan writer, Sidney is known for writing:

·        the most important Elizabethan work of literary criticism: The Defense of Poetry

·        the most important Elizabethan work of prose fiction: The Arcadia

·        the first and most influential Elizabethan sonnet sequence: Astrophil and Stella (his greatest work)

 

Astrophil (also spelled Astrophel) and Stella, Sidney’s greatest work, is a sonnet sequence of 108 sonnets with 11 songs interspersed.  Astrophil and Stella is known for

·        being one of the greatest love poems in the [English] language, “an anatomy of love” (Albert C. Baugh)

·        realistically depicting the psychology of a man in love, his “state of mind and soul, the contradictory impulses, intense desires, and frustrations, including hope and despair, tenderness and bitterness, exultation and modesty, bodily desire and spiritual transcendence” (NAEL)

·        achieving technical excellence in sonnet form

 

Publication: For eight years (1583-91), manuscript copies of these poems circulated among friends, relatives, and associates of Sidney who would have understood the poems’ autobiographical implications (see “Autobiography” below).  The sonnet sequence was published in 1591, five years after Sidney’s death in 1586 at age 32.  The poems were so popular that three editions were published the very first year.

 

Literary legacy: The publication of Astrophil and Stella in 1591 sparked a vogue of sonnet-writing.  By the end of the 1590s, 2000 sonnets had been published.  Shakespeare’s sonnets were among those written (but not published) in the 1590s.

 

Interpretations of Astrophil and Stella

Sidney’s sonnet sequence has been interpreted in the following ways:

  • Literal: A narrative of the attempts of Astrophil (“Star-lover”) to woo Stella (“Star”).  This interpretation assumes that these two fictional characters have at least some connection with Sidney and Penelope Devereux Rich.
  • Autobiographical: The story of Sidney=s own unsuccessful attempts to win Penelope Devereux Rich.  Sidney had almost been betrothed to Penelope Devereux when she was a child.  Only after her betrothal to Lord Rich did Sidney recognize his own love for her.  Sidney probably wrote A&S in 1581-83, between the marriage of Penelope Devereux to Lord Rich and the marriage of Sidney to Frances Walsingham. 

1.      What kind of love relationship that we have previously studied also involves the relationship of an unmarried man to a married woman?

  • Thematic: The exploration of various themes relating to love without an “autobiographical or narrative continuity” (C. S. Lewis).  Lewis believes that sonnet sequences by nature are lyric (exploring feelings) rather than narrative (telling a story) and that the fragments of narrative in A&S merely provide topics for Sidney to reflect on.
  • Formal (relating to form):  An experimental exercise in the form of the sonnet, using a fictional relationship (Sidney Lee).  In 85 of the 108 sonnets in A&S, the first eight lines have the rhyme scheme of an Italian sonnet (abbaabba), whereas the last six lines rhyme like an English sonnet (cdcdee).  Sidney also experiments with brilliant concluding couplets that contain a “climactic paradox,” a “dramatic exclamation,” an interpretation of a psychological situation, an aphorism or gibe, or a question that reverses the content of the rest of the poem (Ruoff).

 

Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 1, page 975

In this sonnet, the speaker describes his difficulty in trying to find poetic models and inspiration.

  1. According to the first quatrain, lines 1-4, what is his purpose in writing poetry?
  2. According to the second quatrain, lines 5-8, what techniques does the speaker use to try to get poetic inspiration?
  3. According to the third quatrain, lines 9-12, what are the results of using these techniques?
  4. According to the couplet, lines 13-14, what does the speaker finally realize is the right way to write poetry that will fulfill his purpose?
  5. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?  Does it fit the criteria for either an English or an Italian sonnet?  If not, which of the two sonnet forms is it closer to?  Why? 

 

Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 15, page 978

  1. The speaker addresses this poem to a group of people who are doing WHAT?

      What is Parnassus (line 2)?  Who is Petrarch, and what are “Petrarch’s long deceasèd   woes” (line 7)?  How are these allusions relevant to the task that the speaker’s audience is      attempting?

  1. How is the subject of this sonnet similar to sonnet 1 of Astrophil and Stella?
  2. What is the rhyme scheme of this sonnet?  Is it an English or an Italian sonnet?  Support your answer.
  3. How does the content of the poem change at the beginning of line 9 and again at line 14? What solution does the speaker give his audience in line 14?

 

Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 71, page 986

  1. This poem is based on the concept of neo-Platonic love.  Find each of the following tenets of neo-Platonic love in the poem:
    1. Physical beauty is an indication of spiritual superiority: the most beautiful woman is also the most virtuous. 
    2. A man who seeks spiritual enlightenment should focus on a physically beautiful woman.
    3. Focusing on a beautiful woman can eventually lead a man, through a Platonic “ladder of ascent,” up to virtue, goodness, and God.
  2. What happens when the speaker of the poem tries to practice neo-Platonic love?  In line 14, for what is “food” a metaphor?
  3. Where in the poem does the most significant shift in meaning occur?  How does the rhyme scheme reinforce this shift?