Balti state university a. Russo chair of english philology

 
The Faerie Queene (1591) 
Spenser‟s exuberant, multifaceted poem is peculiarly characteristic of its age. In some respects it is a 
“courtesy book”, that intended to “fashion a gentleman or noble person” such as one should be. It is a 
romantic epic, like Aiosto‟s Orlando Furioso, full of adventures and marvels. 
Faerie Queene is an allegory representing the court of Queen Elizabeth. The whole is an interweaving 
of Greek myths and English legends. Spenser planned to divide his epic poem into twelve books. But only 
six books of the Faerie Queene  were finished. The main character of the poem is Prince Arthur. In a dream 
he sees Gloriana, the Fairy Queen. She is very beautiful and he falls in love with her. So he sets on a trip to 
seek her in her Fairy Land. She is supposed to hold her annual twelve-day feast during which twelve 
adventurous knights are to be fought by each man who claims Gloriana‟s hand. Each of the knights 
represents a certain virtue: Holiness, Temperance, Friendship, Justice, etc. Here follows the description of 
The beauty of Gloriana which is impeccable.
Tell me ye merchants daughters did you see 
So fayre a creature in your towne before, 
So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she, 
Abornd with beautyes grace and virtues store, 
Her goodly eyes lyke saphyres shining bright, 
Her forehead yvory white, 
Her cheeks like apples which the sun hath rudded made red 

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Her lips lyke cherryes charming men to byte, 
Her brest lyke lyllies budded, 
Her snowie necke lyke to a marble towre, 
And all her body lyke a palace fayre, 
Ascending uppe with many a stately stayre, 
To honors seat and chastities sweet bowre. 
This part of the epic is presented in its original spelling. Some spelling forms have been changed by 
the poet purposely, in order to create rhymes while looking at it. This inconsistency in spelling is typical 
of his time. In the sixteenth century, people even varied the spelling of their own names.