A Study Of Images In Edmund Spenser’s Poetry

As one of the most outstanding poets in English literature of the Renaissance,Edmund Spenser is called “poets’ poet”. He eulogizes life and praises love, and leavesbehind a great many astonishing poems with his rich imagination and deep literatureattainment. From past to recent year, countless critics have made a study of Spenser’sworks. But most of the research results focus on macroscopical aspects, such asthemes, styles, language, meter and rhythm, and poetic form, etc. However, theseaspects are reflected by microscopic images. Spenser is an expert at expressingcomplicated emotions and faiths with quite common objects and images.Chapter One expounds the ecological images in Spenser’s poetry. He candiscover deep implications in simple objects. Water, flowers, and animals are quitecommon images; however, they have peculiar meanings in Spenser’s eyes. Thesesimple ecological images contain rich messages.Chapter Two explores the geometrical and numerological images. InRenaissance period, roundness and gold chain were frequently-appeared images.Thomas More, John Donne and Edmund Spenser have written many poems based onroundness; the predecessor of the gold chain is called “the chain of existence”，and ithas been considered as the join of everything in the world since Aristotle; inRenaissance period, one of the popular themes then was “carpe diem” whichadmonished people to seize time and enjoy life. Passing of time means elapse of life.Chapter Three discusses the cosmic images. Ptolemy astronomy plays animportant role in Renaissance literature and common cosmic images are givencomplicated meanings by poets. Spenser compares the faerie Queen, holy and pureGloriana as the sun which symbolizes luminosity and justice. Stars shines at night andshows the way for boats on sea. The poet imagines the stars as true love to wait forand guide the confused people.