Spenser’s the Faerie Queene, Book I

In the first book of his great allegorical epic, Spenser follows the Redcrosse Knight—representing Holiness—on his quest to slay a dragon and rescue a kingdom, aided by the lady Una and beset by monsters, sorcerers, and temptations that embody the moral and spiritual struggles of the soul. Written in gorgeous, richly ornamented verse in a deliberately archaic style, The Faerie Queene weaves chivalric romance, Christian allegory, and praise of Queen Elizabeth I into one of the towering achievements of English poetry. Magnificent and imaginative, it laid a foundation for English epic and inspired poets for centuries. Book I is its most celebrated and self-contained part.