Spenser's Intentions While Writing The Faerie Queene
While writing his poem, Spenser strove to “avoid gealous opinions ad misconstructions” because he thought it would place his story “in a better light” for his readers (Norton Anthology 777). In his letter to Raleigh, published with the first three books (Heale 11), Spenser states that “the generall end of the booke is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline” (Norton Anthology 777). Spenser considered his work “a historcall fiction” which men should read for “delight” rather than “the profite of the ensample” (Norton Anthology 777). The Faerie Queene was written for Elizabeth to read and was dedicated to her. However, there are dedicatory sonnets in the first edition to many powerful Elizabethan figures (McCabe 50).
In “amoretti 33”, when talking about The Faerie Queene still being incomplete, Spenser addresses “lodwick”. This could either be his friend Lodowick Bryskett or his long deceased Italian model, Ludovico Ariosto, who he praises in “Letter to Ralegh” (McCabe 273).
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