The Faerie Queene, which was written by Edmund Spenser, is one of the notable English poems published in the late 16th century. The poem is considered as one of the longest poems ever written in English, focusing on a wide array of themes including religion, an allegory of virtue, politics, archetypes, and symbolism and allusion. One of the most unique aspect to note about this poem is that it led to the introduction of the Spenserian stanza, which is a fixed verse approach to writing a poem in which each stanza has nine lines in total, that was attributed to the manner in which Spenser was able to arrange the poem as it relates to the intended themes. Out of the nine lines, eight lines are aligned iambic pentameter while the last line is a single 'alexandrine' line aligned in iambic hexameter. Additionally, it is essential to take note of the fact that the lines associated with this type of stanza follow the rhythm ABABBCBCC. For this analysis, the verse selected is from Book 1, Canto 1.
“A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,
Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide
Under a vele, that wimpled was full low,
And over all a black stole she did throw,
As one that only mourned: so was she sad,
And have sat upon her palfrey slow;
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,
And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad (Book 1, Canto, Stanza 4)”
An in-depth evaluation of the stanza highlights the fact that indeed Spenser was able to establish a rhythm that was aimed at developing the way of thinking among its audience. Individually, Spenser's approach to the use of a Spenserian stanza can be considered as being somewhat effective in pushing one's understanding of his description of the events and characters as have been presented in the stanza. An analysis of the stanza, as has been presented above, reflects on one of the notable characters in the poem, Una, who is described as a young lovely lady, riding beside the Red Cross Knight, Redcrosse. However, Una seems to be morning reflecting on the pale nature of her donkey, which is described as being whiter than snow. Additionally, the stanza also seems to be describing Una’s purity where she is considered as being much whiter. From his description, it is clear that Spenser seeks to build on the reader’s understand of Una as being both young and pure.
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Una is portrayed as an allegorical figure in the stanza considering that she is viewed from two main perspectives, which are from her outward beauty described within the poem and her inly sadness that has also been indicated. The narrator seems to be providing readers with a comparison of the different ways through which Una can be viewed with the intention of establishing what can be viewed as a sense of understanding of how she relates to the larger poem. The main role associated with this stanza, in its connection to the entire poem, is that it allows readers to view the different ways through which Una can be viewed. When looking at the stanza that follows comes immediately after, one would note that it continues to describe Una as being pure and innocent. That seeks to show the importance of the stanza in seeking to create an effective front through which to connect with the manner in which the audience is likely to understand Una’s characterization.
The stanza helps in setting out the poem's larger allegory about sexuality by introducing readers to one of the notable characters, Una, who is described from a sexual perspective, especially in seeking to reflect on aspects that include her purity. The stanza fits into the larger poem considering that it serves as a background through which to ensure that the audience is well aware of the relationship between Redcrosse and Una. The stanza highlights the manner in which Una is viewed as being worth of a relationship with a knight with Redcrosse seeming to struggle with the temptation of having to view her sexually. The stanza allows readers to prepare themselves mentally to the well-structured view of sexuality that has been brought out immensely throughout the context of the poem as a reflection of how each of the characters is to be portrayed.
The stanza goes ahead to bring out a sense of sexuality, as it relates to the character of Una, through the use of a metaphor to suggest that she ought to be considered from a sexual perspective. In the last line of the stanza, the narrator indicates that, “And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.” When evaluating this line in the context of the entire poem, it can be argued that the narrator may be seeking to highlight Una as being sexually attractive not only to Redcrosse but also to other men in the kingdom. Her beauty flares in a manner that cannot be ignored taking into account that she portends both outward and inner beauty. Generally, the stanza is of great importance towards giving context to the poem, specifically in defining Una’s character throughout the poem.
