The Faerie Queene facts for kids
The Faerie Queene is a long poem, also known as an epic poem, written by Edmund Spenser. It was first published in 1590. A longer version came out in 1596. This longer poem has six main parts, which are called books.
The story in The Faerie Queene is about different knights. These knights go on adventures and fight against evil. The poem is also an allegory, which means it uses characters and events to represent deeper ideas. Each book of the poem focuses on a different virtue, like goodness or truth. The poem also praises Queen Elizabeth I and her family, the Tudors. Queen Elizabeth liked the poem so much that she gave Spenser a special payment called a pension as a reward.
Contents
What is The Faerie Queene About?
The Faerie Queene tells many stories. Each story follows a different knight. These knights represent different good qualities, or virtues. For example, one knight might represent holiness. Another might represent temperance, which means being in control of yourself.
Knights and Their Virtues
Each of the six books in the poem focuses on a specific virtue.
- Book I: The Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross, or of Holiness.
- Book II: The Legend of Sir Guyon, or of Temperance.
- Book III: The Legend of Britomart, or of Chastity.
- Book IV: The Legend of Cambel and Triamond, or of Friendship.
- Book V: The Legend of Artegall, or of Justice.
- Book VI: The Legend of Sir Calidore, or of Courtesy.
The poem also features Prince Arthur. He represents the virtue of Magnificence. This means having all the good qualities combined. Prince Arthur appears in different parts of the poem. He helps the knights on their quests.
Why is The Faerie Queene Important?
The Faerie Queene is a very long and important poem. It is one of the longest poems in the English language. It helped shape how English poetry was written for many years.
Spenser's Special Language
Edmund Spenser used an old-fashioned style of English. He also created his own special way of writing poetry. This is called the "Spenserian stanza." It is a special type of stanza (a group of lines in a poem). Each stanza has nine lines. The first eight lines rhyme in a certain way. The last line is longer than the others.
Praise for Queen Elizabeth I
The poem is also important because it praises Queen Elizabeth I. Spenser wanted to show her as a great and powerful ruler. He used characters in the poem to represent her. This was a common way for writers to honor their rulers back then.
Images for kids
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Holiness defeats Error: an illustration from Book I, Part l of an 1895–1897 edition
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Florimell's Flight by Washington Allston
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Prince Arthur, the Redcrosse Knight, and Una, illustrated by William Kent, 1751
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Una and the Lion by Briton Rivière (1840–1920).
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The dedicatory page of the 1590 edition of Spenser's Faerie Queene, reading: "To the most mightie and magnificent Empresse Elizabeth, by the grace of god, Queene of England, France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &c."
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See also
In Spanish: La Reina Hada para niños
