The Faerie Queene: Book I, Canto I

Edmund Spenser 1552 (London) – 1599 (London)



THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE
Contayning
THE LEGENDE OF THE KNIGHT OF THE
RED CROSSE, OR OF HOLINESSEProemi
    Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,
   As time her taught in lowly Shepheards weeds,
   Am now enforst a far unfitter taske,
   For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,
   And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;
   Whose prayses having slept in silence long,
   Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds
   To blazon broad emongst her learned throng:
   Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song.

ii

  Helpe then, O holy Virgin chiefe of nine,
  Thy weaker Novice to performe thy will,
  Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryne
  The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,
  Of Faerie knights and fairest Tanaquill,
  Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long
  Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,
  That I must rue his undeserved wrong:
  O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

iii

  And thou most dreaded impe of highest Jove,
  Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart
  At that good knight so cunningly didst rove,
  That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,
  Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart,
  And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde:
  Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,
  In loves and gentle jollities arrayd,
  After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd.
iv

  And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright,
  Mirrour of grace and Majestie divine,
  Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose light
  Like Phoebus lampe throughout the world doth shine,
  Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne,
  And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile,
  To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,
  The argument of mine afflicted stile:
  The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred a-while.

CANTO I

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:33 min read
108

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXXBCBCCBCBB ADADDBDBB EFEFFFFFFE GAGAAHAHH
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,794
Words 310
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 13, 9, 10, 9

Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. more…

All Edmund Spenser poems | Edmund Spenser Books

2 fans

Discuss the poem The Faerie Queene: Book I, Canto I with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Faerie Queene: Book I, Canto I" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/9291/the-faerie-queene:-book-i,-canto-i>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Edmund Spenser

    »

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    3
    days
    15
    hours
    27
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "Ozymandias"?
    A Rudyard Kipling
    B Percy Bysshe Shelley
    C William Wordsworth
    D Rainer Maria Rilke