Epithalamion

by Edmund Spenser

Epithalamion is a poem celebrating a marriage. An epithalamium is a song or poem written specifically for a bride on her way to the marital chamber. In Spenser's work, he is spending the day anxiously awaiting to marry Elizabeth Boyle. The poem describes the day in detail. The couple wakes up and Spenser begs the muses to help him on his artistic endeavor for the day. Spenser spends a majority of the poem praising his bride to be, which is depicted as both innocent and lustful.

When she finally wakes, the two head to the church. Hymen Hymenaeus is sung by the minstrels at the festivities. As the ceremony begins, Spenser shifts from praising Greek Gods and beings to Christian language to praise Elizabeth. After the ceremony, Spenser becomes even more anxious at the thought of consummating the marriage. Spenser then rebukes any idea of evil that could ruin their new found happiness. Spenser asks for blessings for childbearing, fidelity, and all things good at the end.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Romance

64 pages, Unknown Binding

About the author

Edmund Spenser (c. 1552 - 1599) was an important English poet and Poet Laureate best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem celebrating, through fantastical allegory, the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I.

Though he is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, Spenser is also a controversial figure due to his zeal for the destruction of Irish culture and colonisation of Ireland.

Reviews

[Paras2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't particularly enjoy the poem but liked the diction spenser used. his archaism was greatly appreciated.

[Jacky Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spenser the poet of the Faerie Queene is very boring, as is Spenser the New Historicist political opportunist. But here (as in Prothalamion, my favourite Spenser poem) we have a Spenser of poignance, wistfulness, a Spenser who thinks about and plays with time, artifice, and poetics. Maybe it's time I took another good long look at Spenser, having had a year's distance now from our dreadful first encounter.

[Kurt Rongey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly elevated love poem in tribute to his bride. It builds in momentum and sensuality, finally receding from its height to twilit ease at the end.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 23 stanzas, of 17 to 19 lines of this poem, modestly pronounce with inordinate gusto the whole of the poet's own wedding-day, from the dawn to the night which brings the bride into her husband's arms. Each stanza structures a rite of the festival and, underneath the amusing, ennobling mythological adornment, humble and informal circumstances are celebrated and revealed of the poet’s wedding which was small Irish town on the 11th June, 1594. Never did Spenser's intellect show its autonomous power as in this poem. This poem marks the high lyrical accomplishment of the English Renascence. This verse has no equal in the poetry of the Renaissance. In fullness and brilliance it outshines all other compositions of the same kind. Time immemorial barely produced any such poem.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edmund Spenser wrote this classic poem for his bride on their wedding day in 1594.
Poem also at poetryfoundation.org

[Purva · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best romantic poems from the 16th Century

[Siva Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love doth transcend time!

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 read this for uni and it was horrible experience