Edmund Spenser 
The Faerie Queen and Other Poems 

‘The Faerie Queen’ is a marvelous epic poem depicting the virtues of the legendary King Arthur and his knights in a mythical land. Edmund Spenser’s masterpiece is an intricately woven plot set in an inventive and fanciful setting. Written in appreciation for the Queen this work stands as a major literary achievement. In addition to ‘The Faerie Queen, ‘ Edmund Spenser also wrote a number of other significant poems. His first major poetical work ‘The Shepherd’s Calendar’ begins this collection of his other poems. An emulation of Virgil’s ‘Eclogues, ‘ ‘The Shepherd’s Calendar’ depicts the life of shepherd Colin Clout through the twelve months of his year. The twelve eclogues of the poem, each named after a different month, discuss abuses of the church, offer praise for Queen Elizabeth, and reveal the struggles of a lonely shepherd. Also included in this edition of Spenser’s poetry are the following poems: ‘The Ruins of Time, ‘ ‘Prosopopoia, ‘ ‘Muiopotmos, ‘ ‘Colin Clout’s Come Home Again, ‘ ‘Amoretti, ‘ and ‘Epithalamion.’