6 Must-Read Edmund Spenser Poems

Edmund Spenser is the famous author of The Faerie Queene, one of the most important pieces of English poetry. It is highly allegorical and celebrates the Tudor dynasty. Spenser also wrote numerous famous sonnets and has a particular style of verse named after him. His style was deliberately antiquated, although he sought to write against the classical tradition, including poets such as Virgil and Ovid, rather than attempt to emulate them.

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Amoretti: Sonnet 86

‘Amoretti Sonnet 86’ by Edmund Spenser explores the toll of leaving one’s beloved and portrays the long days and nights which follow.

This sonnet, crafted by Edmund Spenser, adheres to the conventional features of the Shakespearean sonnet form, comprising 14 lines written in iambic pentameter. It delves into a singular emotion— the anticipation of reuniting with a beloved and the accompanying anguish during the wait. However, there are sonnets within this collection that eclipse this one in terms of impact. Comparatively, when considering Spenser's magnum opus, 'The Faerie Queene,' an epic poem that has served as a wellspring of inspiration for subsequent poets, this particular sonnet might not attain the same level of significance.

Since I did leave the presence of my Love,

Many long weary dayes I have outworne,

And many nights, that slowly seemd to move

Theyr sad protract from evening untill morn.

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Amoretti LXVII: Like as a Huntsman

Edmund Spenser’s ‘Amoretti LXVII: Like as a Huntsman’ explores the pursuit of love and the unexpected rewards it brings.

This poem is a good representation of Edmund Spenser's poems. It showcases many elements commonly found in his works, such as intricate metaphors, thematic exploration of love and desire, rich imagery, and skillful employment of poetic techniques. The poem captures the essence of Spenser's style and themes, making it a representative example of his poetry.

Like as a huntsman after weary chase,

Seeing the game from him escap'd away,

Sits down to rest him in some shady place,

With panting hounds beguiled of their prey:

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My Love is like to ice, and I to fire

‘My Love is like to ice, and I to fire’ describes the contradictory but also complementary personalities of the speaker and his lover.

My Love is like to ice, and I to fire:

How comes it then that this her cold so great

Is not dissolved through my so hot desire,

But harder grows the more I her entreat?

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Sonnet 54

‘Sonnet 54’ is part of Spenser’s Amoretti and is a Spenserian sonnet, formed by three interlocked quatrains and a couplet.

Of this worlds Theatre in which we stay,

My love lyke the Spectator ydly sits

Beholding me that all the pageants play,

Disguysing diversly my troubled wits.

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Sonnet 68

‘Sonnet 68’ is a segment of Amoretti, a true love calendar that picturizes Spenser’s courtship and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle.

Most glorious Lord of life, that on this day,

Didst make thy triumph over death and sin:

And having harrow'd hell, didst bring away

Captivity thence captive, us to win:

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Sonnet 75

‘Sonnet 75′ is part of Amoretti, a sonnet cycle that describes Edmund Spenser’s courtship and marriage to Elizabeth Boyle.

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,

But came the waves and washed it away:

Again I wrote it with a second hand,

But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

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6 Must-Read Edmund Spenser Poems

Amoretti: Sonnet 86

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