The "Fairy Queen"

The poem is an
allegory representing ihe 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. The 12 books were to tell of the
warfare of 12 knights. But only six books of the "Fairy Queen" were
finished. The first two books are the best and the most interesting. The
allegory is not so clear in the rest.Prince Arthur is the hero of the poem. In
a vision he sees Gloriana, the Fairy Queen. She is so beautiful that he falls
in love with her. Armed by Merlin he sets out to seek her in Fairy Land. She is
supposed to hold her annual 12-day feast during which

12 adventures are
to be achieved by 12 knights. Each knight represents a certain virtue:
Holiness, Temperance, Friendship, Justice, Courtesy, Constancy, etc., which are
opposed to Falsehood, Hypocrisy and others in the form of witches, wizards and
monsters.

Spenser imitated
antique verse. One of the features of those verses was the use of "Y"
before the past participle, as "Yclad" instead of "clad"
("dressed"). He was the first to use the nine-line stanza. In this
verse each line but the last has 10 syllables, the last line has 12 syllables.
The rhymed lines are arranged in the following way: a b a b b c b c c.

A gentle knight was
pricking on the plain, a

Yclad in mighty
arms and silver shield, b

Wherein old dints
of deep wounds did remain, a

The cruel marks of
many a bloody field; b

Yet arms till that
time did he never wield; b

His angry steed did
chide his foamy bit, c

As much disdaining
to the curb to yield; b

Full jolly knight
he seemed, and fair did sit, c

As one for knightly
jousts and fierce encounters fit. C