Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenserwas an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of nascent Modern English verse, and is often considered one of the greatest poets in the English language...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
depressing pain pleasure
And painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain.
For of the soule the bodie forme doth take; For the soule is forme, and doth the bodie make.
art men people
There learned arts do flourish in great honour And poets's wits are had in peerless price; Religion hath lay power, to rest upon her, Advancing virtue, and suppressing vice. For end all good, all grace there freely grows, Had people grace it gratefully to use: For God His gifts there plenteously bestows, But graceless men them greatly do abuse.
war men steel
Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit!
men heaven mind
Nothing under heaven so strongly doth allure the sense of man, and all his mind possess, as beauty's love.
heart men air
A circle cannot fill a triangle, so neither can the whole world, if it were to be compassed, the heart of man; a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold. The air fills not the body, neither doth money the covetous mind of man.
heart joy venus
Joy may you have and gentle hearts content Of your loves couplement: And let faire Venus, that is Queene of love, With her heart-quelling Sonne upon you smile
art mourning broke
good Hobbinoll, what garres thee greete? What! hath some wolfe thy tender lambes ytorne? Or is thy bagpype broke, that soundes so sweete? Or art thou of thy loved lasse forlorne?
balance doth east heaven light mind thou thy weigh wind wise
For take thy balance if thou be so wise And weigh the wind that under heaven doth blow; Or weigh the light that in the east doth rise; Or weigh the thought that from man's mind doth flow.
avenging simple subdue truth
O how can beautie maister the most strong, / And simple truth subdue avenging wrong?
feet doe earth
O happy earth, Whereon thy innocent feet doe ever tread!
pride names forever
How many great ones may remember'd be, Which in their days most famously did flourish, Of whom no word we hear, nor sign now see, But as things wip'd out with a sponge do perish, Because the living cared not to cherish No gentle wits, through pride or covetize, Which might their names forever memorize!
body doth form soul
For of the soul the body form doth take,For soul is form, and doth the Body make.
judge love
Be judge ye heavens, that all things right esteeme, / How I him loved, and love with all my might, / So thought I eke of him, and thinke I thought aright.