Book I: Proem Stanzas 1-4

Faerie Queene Book I

"The Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross" or "Of Holiness"

Proem: Stanza 1

Synopsis: This stanza acts as a prologue to the entire poem and the beginning of Spenser's poetic "quest".

Unfamiliar word: areeds (7) means counsels or commands. The Muse tells Spenser to write about knights and ladies, not shepherds and pastoral themes.

Other literature: Alludes to the common Renaissance "prologue" of Aeneid where Virgil talks about going from pastoral poems (Bucolics; Georgics) to epics (Aeneid).

General observation: Spenser uses the stories of wars and lovers to illustrate moral truths.

Stanza 2

Synopsis: Spenser invokes the Muse Clio to help him write excellently about great heroes and virtuous women, especially Arthur and Tanaquill. (Gloriana/Elizabeth)

Unfamiliar word: scryne (3) is a shrine or place where valuable items are hidden. For example, it describes the store of knowledge from whence the Muse tells the story of Arthur and Tanaquill.

Other literature: "suffered so much ill" (7) alludes to Aeneid I which talks about Aeneas' struggles to found Rome.

General observation: Spenser's invocation to the Muse shows that this poem involved deep thinking and has a broad scope.

Stanza 3

Synopsis: Spenser invokes Venus and Mars to help him understand love and war for his poem.

Unfamiliar word: Heben (5) means dark black and can refer to something that is evil or poisonous.

Other literature: Cupid's friend carries a "Heben bowe" in Roman de la Rose.

General observation: Spenser's appeals to the forces of love and war show his desire to create harmony in this poem

Stanza 4

Synopsis: Spenser directly addresses his patron Elizabeth I to inspire him to write about the virtues of the ideal monarch and to read his work carefully.

Unfamiliar word: afflicted stile (8) refers to writing with humility. Spenser wants Elizabeth, whom he reveres, to read his work penned with humility, not to make him a legendary poet.

Other literature: Spenser calls Elizabeth a "Goddesse" (1) which refers to Psalm 82:1 where secular rulers are called gods as God's representatives on earth.

General observation: Spenser seemingly flatters his patron, but he actually looks at the greater reality and glory that Elizabeth's reign as queen is only a foretaste of.

"Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of nyne/Thy weaker Novice to performe thy will" (Proem.2.1-2)

New Blog Format: Faerie Queene Time!

Because of my new addiction to Tumblr, I have neglected this blog for quite some time. A trip to my friend's (and Renaissance man) dorm room changed that. I saw an annotated copy of Faerie Queene on his shelf and felt strangely drawn to it. I read the prologue and first few stanzas of Book I and remembered my failed attempt to read the book back in 6th grade. (Barely got past Red Cross' quest and didn't understand a word of it.) This sense of adventure and nostalgia inspired me to borrow the book.

Instead of letting it rot on my bookshelf, I started reading Faerie Queene on the last day of finals after quick reads of Twelfth Night and Hamlet to re-acquaint myself with the Elizabethan idiom. This blog chronicles my halting journey through the six lengthy books of the greatest 16th century poem written in English. Thanks to Hiroshi Yamashita, Toshiyuki Suzuki, and Shohachi Fukuda for their invaluable notes and annotations.

The format of this blog will be a close stanza/canto/book reading of Faerie Queene. I will write a short synopsis of the stanza, define and provide context for an unfamiliar word (because Spenser tried to find knowledge and truth through words), flesh out a connection with earlier literature, and end with a "general observation" on the stanza tying its content with universal themes.
Here's a facsimile of the Faerie Queene's original title page from 1590:

Meditations on Community that turns into a Poem about Karen Gillan and a Confession

So today I watched Community on the plane. I forgot how much that show makes me smile, even if it's an "off episode". From Abed's obsession with pop culture to Annie's naivete. Winger's sarcasm to Pierce's desire to belong despite his racist/homophobic outbursts. And Britta Perry, who is the ultimate buzzkill but has a vulnerable, nougat filled center. (That came out wrong) I also want the showrunner(s) to bring Ian back and his deadpan British wit, but that probably won't happen. He's probably dying from alcohol poisoning... But he might show up at the Inspector Spacetime convention where we'll hopefully find Ms. Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan, Karen Gillan

In Scotland, she be chillin'.

Brushing her phoenix red hair,

Frolicking in the highlands without a care,

She follows a time travelling alien around the 'Verse.

As she escapes breathlessly from a pirate curse.

Amy Pond: Girl who waited and kissing cop

Call her Amy Pond or Amy Williams, she'll never be forgot

I had to get that one off my chest. Songs/poems about actresses/fictional characters definitely float my boat. I adore "Alyson Hannigan" by a random pop punk band because she'll ALWAYS be Willow to me. Once I almost found a Felicia Day song on iTunes, but it was actually a bluegrass instrumental. It seems that almost anyone can put their music on iTunes nowadays. Some of these songs... "The Wobble?" Move away "Party Rock", this is the dumb as rock summer song. But I have a secret.

I love "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen (and "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal while we're at it). Two words: hella catchy. I think I'm intrigued by the irrepressible irrationality in all of it. (Guess who just used six words starting with 'I' in a sentence.) By the way, the Dr. Pepper I'm currently drinking is flatter than Keira Knightley. No offense to Ms. Knightley because I had a long enduring crush on you from 2005 to 2007 thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean, King Arthur, and Pride and Prejudice. But then you disappeared from my local multiplex. I'll round out this blog post filled with random crap about critically acclaimed sitcoms, long legged Scottish actresses, and summer guilty pleasures with this thought: vulnerability is the armor of an honest heart. (Thank you Britta Perry)

"The measure of a man lies not in what he says but what he does."- Clark Kent in All Star Superman 

Sheol Inverted

Sheol Inverted

In everyone, there is a monster.

A darkness offsetting our gentler souls

The twisted cherub devours the begging  sunflower  children that frolicked and played in bliss infested meadows.

This fierce angel whispers my name.

Taking the form of an overlong, exposition tinged monologue full of monosyllabic sweet nothings in Kabbalic Hebrew and Vulgar Latin.

Raguel gives me a kiss.

Greeted with gold-tinged harp crescendoes and soaring soprano voices, I ascend.

Into Dis

The Planets: Mars

This was an interesting planet to write about. Mars is our next door neighbor and has featured in a lot of  science fiction writing. Also, war is and will always be a relevant theme in American society.

Mars

The red god of war grins at the dawn.

Pockmarked and scored with craters of many battles,

His icy heart hidden by a rocky, sunken chest

Malacandra, Barsoom: it has gone by many names.

A home to warlike creatures and mankind's last hope

Of finding a new frontier to colonize and conquer;

Because the human race was born to reign

A lasting monument to frenzied violence and bloodshed,

The planet rusts, like a forgotten sword.

The Planets: Venus

Next up: the morning and evening star or the planet where women come from... Here is a tribute to this poisonous beauty

Venus

Trapped in the foam, underneath the clouds,

I breathe the sweet poison of your kiss.

Lungs wheeze, overcome by this asphyxial experience

Wrapped between the legs of the pale, lovely goddess,

I dissolve and slip away... defeated by her infectious touch

An object floating, innocence vanquished by treacherous beauty.

Love is fatal to the naïve enfants.

But love remains the last hope of the cosmos.

The Planets: Mercury

As a mid/late summer project, I've decided to write a series of nine line poems about each planets and their "qualities". Even Pluto made the cut. I hope you return my return to blog poetry:)

Mercury

Gazing upon the frozen plain,

I pray to the fickle Deity for winter rain.

Winged feet occupied elsewhere, in comings and goings

Over stark, bare craters and mole hill mountains.

I drink from barren fountains

That don't satisfy my wandering winged feet

They tread endlessly, aimlessly

Over the broken landscape of garish Walmarts and petrol stained                                                                            service stations. 

The god only sheds one tear.