Introduction :
English essayist and poet Charles Lamb (1775 - 1834) named Edmund Spenser the "poet's poet" for his unique innovations in poetry. While scholars often begin English literature with Chaucer, Edmund Spenser advanced English poetry in a way that influenced and inspired later poets of various national identities. Arguably, were it not for Edmund Spenser, English literature would have remained national; however, Edmund Spenser's work elevated English poetry to world-class, significantly contributing towards the English Renaissance.
Eulogising Edmund Spenser Alexander pope writes :
" There is something in Spenser that pleases one as strongly
In one's old age as it did in one's youth "
The knowledge of Ovid, horner,patrorch , ronsard ,Ariosto ,I'm Tasso, Plato and Aristotle is absolutely necessary for a person to appreciate and understand the works of Spenser. One who really wants to enjoy Spenser requires a thorough knowledge of :
* The pastoral tradition of Virgil.
* The romantic and moral tradition of Tasso and Ariosto.
* The philosophical tradition of Plato and Aristotle .
Edumund Spenser was (and is) called "the poet's poet" because of the very high quality of his poetry and because he enjoyed "the pure artistry of his craft" so much. He is also called that because so many other poets thought that he was a great poet.
Thus, Spenser's poetry is not common poetry. It is grounded above mentioned traditions of the great Greek writers past and present.
Spenser is considered "as the poet's poet " because he is set about to perform that great work for the glorification .
" The Spenserian stanza is ...... .Most purely
English by nature and decent. "
It is stanza is nine line .This nine lines are Iambic pentameter.
Dr. Ben Johnson, one of the eminent critics of Spenserian time, rightly called as the skillful representative of poetry, denigrated almost works of every poet. Nevertheless, the surge of popularity that Spenser brought in through his style of authoring rose, thus enabling Dr. Ben Johnson to positively appreciate the entities of Spenserian manner and matter. Surrounded by a lot of critics though, Spenser was always the zenith of renaissance poetry.
Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene in particular earned his ongoing status as the "poet's poet". Prior to Charles Lamb coining the phrase "poet's poet," Edmund Spenser's contemporary Walter Raleigh poetically praised The Faerie Queene for being the most valuable work in the English language. In Camille Paglia's Sexual Personae, an entire chapter is dedicated to Edmund Spenser's epic poem and its singular importance to all of Western art and literature.
Conclusion :
Thus, Spenser was indeed the poet of the great poet's. He exercised mavetious influences on a host of poet's in the 17th, 18th, and 19th century. He coached more poet's than any other writer of English language .It is a known fact that Milton became a much greater poet after reading " The fairie Queene ." poet's like lodge and Drayden paid their tribute to the new master and called him ,
" learned, revered and excellent ".
Wordsworth find Spenser as the ernbodiraent of nobility, purity and sweetness. He wrote for Spenser,
" The gentle bard,
Sweet Spenser moving through his plouded heaven,
With the beauty and moons soft pace
I called him brother, Englishman and friend.
