today's poem(s)
I missed yesterday's installment, so here are two. The second one illustrates that Spenser could be really kinky when he wanted to be.
from Amoretti
Edmund Spenser
XLV.
Leaue lady in your glasse of christall clene,
Your goodly selfe for euermore to vew:
and in my selfe, my inward selfe I meane,
most liuely lyke behold your semblant trew.
Within my hart, though hardly it can shew
thing so diuine to vew of earthly eye:
the fayre Idea of your celestiall hew,
and euery part remaines immortally:
And were it not that through your cruelty,
with sorrow dimmed and deformd it were:
the goodly ymage of your visnomy,
clearer than christall would therein appere.
But if your selfe in me ye playne will see,
remoue the cause by whih your fayre beames darkned be.
LXXI.
I ioy to see how in your drawen work,
Your selfe vnto the Bee ye doe compare;
and me vnto the Spyder that doth lurke
in close awayt to catch her vnaware.
Right so your selfe were caught in cunning snare
of a deare foe, and thralled to his loue:
in whose streight bands ye now captived are
so firmely, that ye neuer may remoue.
But as your worke is wouen all about,
with woodbynd flowers and fragrant Eglantine:
so sweet your prison you in time shall proue,
with many deare delights bedecked fyne.
And all thensforth eternall peace shall see,
between the Spyder and the gentle Bee.
Note the role-reversal: now it's he who enthralls and she who's entrapped and apparently going to enjoy it -- perhaps an indication that the power is, in fact, with the submissive (i.e., him?) Or maybe this shift indicates that S is seeing a disorder in the initial Petrarchan relationship? Cf. Artegall and Britomart in FQ V, where Britomart submits to Artegall. Note too that he's okay with being a spider. Footnote indicates that she's the weaver.
from Amoretti
Edmund Spenser
XLV.
Leaue lady in your glasse of christall clene,
Your goodly selfe for euermore to vew:
and in my selfe, my inward selfe I meane,
most liuely lyke behold your semblant trew.
Within my hart, though hardly it can shew
thing so diuine to vew of earthly eye:
the fayre Idea of your celestiall hew,
and euery part remaines immortally:
And were it not that through your cruelty,
with sorrow dimmed and deformd it were:
the goodly ymage of your visnomy,
clearer than christall would therein appere.
But if your selfe in me ye playne will see,
remoue the cause by whih your fayre beames darkned be.
LXXI.
I ioy to see how in your drawen work,
Your selfe vnto the Bee ye doe compare;
and me vnto the Spyder that doth lurke
in close awayt to catch her vnaware.
Right so your selfe were caught in cunning snare
of a deare foe, and thralled to his loue:
in whose streight bands ye now captived are
so firmely, that ye neuer may remoue.
But as your worke is wouen all about,
with woodbynd flowers and fragrant Eglantine:
so sweet your prison you in time shall proue,
with many deare delights bedecked fyne.
And all thensforth eternall peace shall see,
between the Spyder and the gentle Bee.
Note the role-reversal: now it's he who enthralls and she who's entrapped and apparently going to enjoy it -- perhaps an indication that the power is, in fact, with the submissive (i.e., him?) Or maybe this shift indicates that S is seeing a disorder in the initial Petrarchan relationship? Cf. Artegall and Britomart in FQ V, where Britomart submits to Artegall. Note too that he's okay with being a spider. Footnote indicates that she's the weaver.