EPITHALAMION - EDMUND SPENSER

EPITHALAMION - EDMUND SPENSER

Ø  It is an ode written by Edmund Spenser as a gift to his bride, Elizabeth Boyle, on the Wedding Day.

Ø  It has 23 stanza ranges with 17-19 lines and it ends with envoi or coda.

Ø  He begins the poem by invoking 9 learned muses to help in completing the poem successfully( but in the case of the poem, they are to help him awaken his bride).

Ø  Epithalamion in a Greek means a song upon the threshold of the bridal chamber.

Ø  This literary genre was popularized by the Latin poet Catullus.

Ø  There are two types of Epithalamia. 1) the loves and fulfillments of the Greek gods and goddess are sung. This type of epithalamion is about a celestial wedding attended by Olympus.  2) Human marriage is the subject. The main characters are the bridegroom, the bride and the poet who is called upon to sing and celebrate the marriage. This Epithalamion belongs to second one.

Ø  The grave problem of Spenser’s marriage with Elizabeth Boyle was she was much junior to the poet.

Ø  After his marriage his Irish residence at Kilcolman was burnt down by the Irish rebels.

Ø  Spenser married Elizabeth Boyle on 11^th June which was considered the longest day of the year.

Ø  Portrays Mulla,  a river.

Ø  The fishermen’s daughters transformed as nymphs.

Ø  She was described as ‘an angel’, ‘some mayden queene’ and ‘saynt’.

Ø  The wedding day is written down in calendar as Saint Elizabeth’s day and declared a public holiday.

Ø  He appealed to various gods not to be jealous of his successful love. The Pagan Gods are              I) Cynthia’s love for Endymion ii) Juno, wife of Jove iii) Hebe, goddess of youth  iv) Hymen, god of marriage.

Ø  The three sister goddesses of the Muses called Aglaia, Eupphro-syne and Thalia were decorating the bride.

Ø  The poet (Bridegroom) urges the angels to sing Alleluya.

Ø  Cupid is present in the Bridal Chamber all night.

Ø  Cynthia, the moon goddess peeping through the window of the bed-chamber.

Ø  Divine and Semi-divine creatures were involved in the human marriage.

Ø  Elizabeth Boyle is compared to Phoebe and Maia.

Ø  The final line in each stanza is a six-foot – long line called Alexandrine.

Greek Myths

Ø  Hymen – God of marriage.

Ø  Rosy morn –Goddess of Dawn.

Ø  Tithone - Sea god

Ø  Phoebus – Sun god

Ø  Hours – daughter of Zove, Time god

Ø  Bacchus – god of wine

Ø  Maia – Daughter of Atlas.