Edmund Spenser, sonnets

Edmund Spenser

Spenser is almost the opposite of Philip Sidney. He is the son of a tailor (sarto). He was born in 1552, so he’s two years older than Sidney. He was born in London and he studied at Cambridge University.

Traditionally Oxford was a Catholic university and Cambridge was closer to Protestantism. Then he returned to London, where he discovered Philip Sidney. He got to know the Earl of Leicester (pronounced Lester), who is Sidney’s uncle, the brother of Sidney’s mother. And thanks to Sidney’s uncle Spenser got in touch with the court and he got to know Queen Elizabeth. From 1580 and for the most part of his life he lived in Ireland: he was Secretary of the Government.

In 1589 he came back to London after years of professional exile, but he was so disappointed by the atmosphere and the people he met that he never came back to London anymore.

He started writing in Ireland his masterpiece “The Faerie Queene”. It is a poem devoted to the Queen of the Fairies, so to Elizabeth I. It’s not completed. It’s an allegorical poem, full of metaphors (it’s written obscurely). (It’s his second marriage).

In 1594 he married Elizabeth Boyle. At age 42 he got married for the second time and he wrote Amoretti.

In 1595 he published Amoretti, which is a collection of 89 sonnets. Some critics say that those 89 sonnets are 89 days of 1594.

In 1599 he died in London, he is recorded in Westminster and the inscription on his grave says: “The prince of poetry in his time”.

Amoretti

As much as for Astrophil and Stella, we can divide this collection into 3 parts:

• First part: from sonnet 1-9 is a part in which Spenser praises his beloved one;
• Second part: from sonnet 10-58. These sonnets have to do with complaining and blaming;
• Third part: from sonnet 59-89 is a part really similar to the first one.

Sidney vs Spenser

Third part of Sidney’s collection talks about the sadness of Astrophil due to Stella’s rejection. On hand in Astrophil and Stella there’s no end, no farewell. The other Amoretti is concluded in a happier way than Astrophil and Stella: the beloved one does not reject the lover (Elizabeth accepts the poet and she marries him).

Why this title?

It’s an Italian name, so maybe Spenser was aware of how important Italian tradition was, culturally speaking.

Why did he decide this name?

In traditional art, Amorini were the little baby angels. Amoretti could probably be read as Amorini (so as Little Cupids). The meaning of this: the sonnets could be the little darts that have to hit Elizabeth’s heart.

Sonnet 7

Sonnet 7 can be compared with Sidney’s sonnet 7, because it has to do with eyes. It also concluded like Sidney’s sonnet 85.

Fair: giusti, leali, nobili, innocente, chiaro, biondo (as a matter of fact Elizabeth Boyle had a traditional beauty).

Sonnet 9

Long-while I sought to what I might compare
those powrefull eies, which lighten my dark spright,
yet find I nought on earth to which I dare
resemble th'ymage of their goodly light.
Not to the Sun: for they doo shine by night;
nor to the Moone: for they are changed never;
nor to the Starres: for they have purer sight;
nor to the fire: for they consume not ever;
Nor to the lightning: for they still persever;
nor to the Diamond: for they are more tender;
nor unto Christall: for nought may them sever;
nor unto glasse: such basenesse mought offend her;
Then to the Maker selfe they likest be,
whose light doth lighten all that here we see.

Long-while I sought to what I might compare
those powrefull eies, which lighten my dark spright,
yet find I nought on earth to which I dare
resemble th'ymage of their goodly light.

A lungo ho cercato di poter paragonare quegli occhi potenti/grandiosi, che illuminano il mio spirito tenebroso. Tuttavia non trovo niente sulla terra a cui osare associare l’immagine della loro luce benigna.

Long-while: a lungo

In the first line there’s an enjambement.

Spright: spirito

Nought: nothing ⇒ he

He was proud of what was English at his time. He invented a lot of neologisms, sometimes wrote the same noun in different ways.

Not to the Sun: for they doo shine by night;
nor to the Moone: for they are changed never;
nor to the Starres: for they have purer sight;
nor to the fire: for they consume not ever;

Non posso essere paragonati al sole, perché essi risplendono di notte; e nemmeno alla luna, perché essi non cambiamo mai; non posso nemmeno paragonarli alle stelle, perché gli occhi di Elizabeth hanno una visione più pura; e nemmeno al fuoco perché sono eterni/non si consumano.

So while moon changes, Elizabeth’s eyes remain always the same. But in this case, we can say Spenser is not referring to his wife, but to his queen (he was in Ireland now, so he needed to ask her favour) ⇒ Elizabeth’s motto were “Semper eadem”, which in English means “Always the same” (the Queen is always faithful to herself) as a superhuman entity, she never changes (that’s why she liked to be compared with the phoenix).

II image: the moon changes her position.

Nor to the lightning: for they still persever;
nor to the Diamond: for they are more tender;
nor unto Christall: for nought may them sever;
nor unto glasse: such basenesse mought offend