Edmund Spenser's poetry remains an indispensable touchstone of English literary history. Yet for modern readers his deliberate use of archaic language and his allegorical mode of writing can become barriers to understanding his poetry. This volume of thirty-seven essays, written by distinguished scholars, offers a rich introduction to the literary, political and religious contexts that shaped Spenser's poetry, including the environment in which he lived, the genres he drew upon, and the influences that helped to fashion his art. The collection reveals the multiple personae that Spenser constructs within his work: to read Spenser is to read a rich archive of literary forms, and this volume provides the contexts in which to do so. A reading list at the end of the volume will prove invaluable to further study.

A comprehensive guide to the literary, religious and political contexts that shape Edmund Spenser's poetry.

About the Author
Andrew Escobedo has been Co-Editor of the journal Spenser Studies since 2010, and he is author of Volition's Face: Personification and the Will in Renaissance Literature (2017). His work has been recognized by several national awards and distinctions, and his research won the support of a residential fellowship at the National Humanities Center in 2009-10.


Book Information
ISBN 9781107094536
Author Andrew Escobedo
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 780g
Dimensions(mm) 235mm * 160mm * 22mm