Unit I – Lesson 4: Edmund Spenser – Epithalamion
📘 Unit I – Lesson 4: Edmund Spenser – Epithalamion
🧾 Overview:
- Title: Epithalamion
- Author:
Edmund Spenser
- Genre:
Nuptial Ode (Marriage Poem)
- Occasion:
Spenser’s own wedding to Elizabeth Boyle
- Published: 1595
- Structure: 24
stanzas + 1 envoi (symbolic of 24 hours of a wedding day)
- Tone:
Joyful, reverent, and celebratory
- Themes: Love,
Marriage, Time, Nature, Divine Blessing, Poetic Immortality
·
1. What does the title “Epithalamion” mean?
A) Funeral hymn
B) War song
C) Marriage song ✅
D) Pastoral elegy
➡️ It comes from Greek, meaning "upon the
bridal chamber."
·
2. Epithalamion was written to celebrate:
A) Queen Elizabeth’s wedding
B) Spenser’s own wedding ✅
C) His daughter’s engagement
D) A royal festival
➡️ It marks his marriage to Elizabeth Boyle in
1594.
·
3. How many stanzas does Epithalamion
contain?
A) 12
B) 20
C) 24 + 1 envoi ✅
D) 30
➡️ 24 stanzas represent 24 hours; the envoi offers
final blessings.
·
4. Which classical deities are invoked in the poem?
A) Zeus and Hera
B) Venus and Juno ✅
C) Apollo and Diana
D) Mars and Minerva
➡️ They are called to bless the marriage.
·
5. The tone of the poem is:
A) Satirical
B) Joyful and reverent ✅
C) Critical
D) Tragic
➡️ It’s a sincere celebration of love and divine
union.
·
6. What time of day does the poem begin with?
A) Midnight
B) Dawn ✅
C) Afternoon
D) Dusk
➡️ It opens with the rising sun and anticipation.
·
7. The form of the poem is primarily:
A) Heroic couplets
B) Blank verse
C) Irregular lyric with varying line lengths ✅
D) Terza rima
➡️ The structure shifts to follow the emotional
movement of the day.
·
8. Who is the bride in the poem?
A) Queen Elizabeth
B) Rosaline
C) Elizabeth Boyle ✅
D) Una
➡️ Spenser’s real-life wife.
·
9. Spenser’s poetic voice in Epithalamion
is:
A) Detached and ironic
B) Personal and celebratory ✅
C) Royal and distant
D) Mocking and humorous
➡️ He shares his personal emotions with high
poetic beauty.
·
10. Which goddess is asked to keep away evil
spirits at night?
A) Juno
B) Diana ✅
C) Venus
D) Ceres
➡️ Diana (goddess of the moon and chastity) is
invoked for protection.
·
11. What does Spenser ask for in the final envoi?
A) Fame
B) Fertility and poetic immortality ✅
C) Gold
D) Death
➡️ He requests children and lasting literary
legacy.
·
12. “Open the temple gates unto my love” refers to:
A) A political speech
B) The bride entering the church ✅
C) A religious prayer
D) The gates of heaven
➡️ The bridal party arrives for the ceremony.
·
13. Which elements are personified to mark the
passage of time?
A) Planets
B) Hours of the day ✅
C) Angels
D) Seasons
➡️ Each stanza reflects one hour of the wedding
day.
·
14. The poem celebrates the union of:
A) War and peace
B) Heaven and earth
C) Man and nature
D) Body and soul in marriage ✅
➡️ Both spiritual and physical union are blessed.
·
15. What natural symbols dominate the poem?
A) Fire and snow
B) Flowers, birds, and light ✅
C) Mountains and trees
D) Storms and oceans
➡️ Imagery of beauty and harmony surrounds the
lovers.
·
16. What role do the Muses play in the poem?
A) Warriors
B) Grievers
C) Bridal singers and blessers ✅
D) Judgmental critics
➡️ They are asked to attend and beautify the
occasion.
·
17. The bride’s purity is symbolized by:
A) Red roses
B) Silver veil
C) White robes ✅
D) Blue sapphires
➡️ Her attire matches the ideal of chastity.
·
18. The poet asks Phoebus (Apollo) to:
A) Hide the sun
B) Delay the sunset ✅
C) Bring a storm
D) Send fire
➡️ He wants the day of joy to last longer.
·
19. Which of the following best describes the
theme?
A) Chivalric conquest
B) Revenge
C) Celebration of love and fertility ✅
D) Economic ambition
➡️ Marriage is seen as sacred and fruitful.
·
20. “Let no lamenting cryes, nor dolefull teares”
is a plea for:
A) Celebration without sorrow ✅
B) Funerals
C) Music
D) Silence
➡️ He wants the day to be purely joyous.
·
21. What is unique about Spenser’s treatment of
time?
A) Time moves backward
B) Time is frozen
C) Each stanza tracks an hour ✅
D) Time is not mentioned
➡️ A formal parallel to the natural passage of the
wedding day.
·
22. The poet’s wish for children is expressed as:
A) A political request
B) Hope for an heir
C) Desire for “a thousand thousand blessings” ✅
D) Regret for not marrying earlier
➡️ He seeks abundance in marriage and family.
·
23. The final envoi shifts from:
A) Celebration to grief
B) Ceremony to myth
C) Public joy to private prayer ✅
D) Nature to war
➡️ It becomes a personal request to heaven.
·
24. Which poetic devices are frequent in Epithalamion?
A) Oxymorons
B) Paradox
C) Alliteration and imagery ✅
D) Blank verse and irony
➡️ Rich poetic texture throughout the ode.
·
25. The wedding night in the poem is described
with:
A) Shame
B) Fear
C) Sacred sensuality ✅
D) Silence
➡️ Spenser elevates consummation as divinely
approved.
26. The speaker asks nymphs to bring what for the bride?
A) Firewood
B) Wedding cake
C) Flowers and fragrances ✅
D) Shields and swords
➡️ Nymphs are part of nature’s bridal preparation.
27. Who is Hymen in the poem?
A) God of war
B) God of marriage ✅
C) Muse of music
D) River god
➡️ Spenser invokes Hymen to bless the union.
28. What is the symbolic meaning of Spenser's wedding in the poem?
A) Personal victory
B) Rebirth of the nation
C) Sacred harmony between love and divine order ✅
D) End of paganism
➡️ He portrays marriage as a spiritual and natural
ideal.
29. The use of “ivory port” refers to:
A) Heaven’s gates
B) The church entrance
C) The bridal chamber ✅
D) A poetic city
➡️ A metaphor for sacred intimacy and beauty.
30. The envoi is addressed to:
A) The Queen
B) The gods
C) The future
D) His offspring and posterity ✅
➡️ He prays for children and lasting fame.
31. The poem closes at:
A) Sunrise
B) Noon
C) Midnight ✅
D) The next morning
➡️ The 24 stanzas represent the 24 hours of the
wedding day.
32. Spenser’s tone toward his bride is:
A) Critical
B) Sarcastic
C) Reverent and admiring ✅
D) Indifferent
➡️ She is depicted as a goddess-like figure.
33. How does Spenser describe the setting for the wedding?
A) Dark and gloomy
B) Artificial and cold
C) Rich in natural beauty and divine light ✅
D) Mysterious and haunted
➡️ Nature rejoices with the poet in vivid detail.
34. The term “chaste bed” refers to:
A) A cold room
B) A symbolic tomb
C) A bridal chamber purified by love ✅
D) A prison
➡️ Chaste refers to sacred and faithful love.
35. What poetic tradition influences Epithalamion?
A) Gothic ballads
B) Pastoral elegy
C) Classical odes and Greek hymns ✅
D) Satirical prose
➡️ It follows the ancient wedding ode tradition.
36. Spenser’s use of mythological references serves to:
A) Confuse the reader
B) Decorate the story
C) Elevate the marriage to divine importance ✅
D) Replace Christianity
➡️ Classical figures lend grandeur to the event.
37. The poem’s structure mimics:
A) A church hymn
B) A pastoral dialogue
C) The movement of the wedding day ✅
D) A sonnet sequence
➡️ Morning to night—step by step.
38. The bridal procession in the poem is filled with:
A) Laughter and mockery
B) Political commentary
C) Natural and divine elements ✅
D) Military themes
➡️ Nature and gods join in the celebration.
39. The line “And ye high heavens, the temple of the gods” is an example
of:
A) Apostrophe ✅
B) Hyperbole
C) Metonymy
D) Irony
➡️ He addresses the heavens as a living presence.
40. The speaker expresses hope that his marriage will:
A) End early
B) Stay hidden
C) Be fruitful and blessed ✅
D) Gain royal favor
➡️ He wants family and joy.
41. Which bird is mentioned as a herald of dawn?
A) Raven
B) Owl
C) Lark ✅
D) Swan
➡️ The lark sings at sunrise to start the wedding
day.
42. Which line best reflects poetic invocation?
A) “Arise, arise from out your dewie bed” ✅
B) “Shut the door against the storm”
C) “Feed me with thy kisses”
D) “Do not leave the banquet”
➡️ A call to the bride to awaken and prepare.
43. What sound marks the wedding feast?
A) Church bells ✅
B) Horns of war
C) Quiet whispers
D) Rain
➡️ A joyful tradition and signal of celebration.
44. Spenser wishes for his wife to:
A) Write poetry with him
B) Be a loyal servant
C) Bear many children ✅
D) Marry again if he dies
➡️ Fertility is a theme of the closing stanzas.
45. The time-based organization reflects:
A) Metaphysical meditation
B) Legal contracts
C) The sacredness of each hour on the wedding day ✅
D) A trial
➡️ Every moment has significance.
46. The speaker sees the marriage as a form of:
A) Warfare
B) Religious sacrifice
C) Poetic reward and spiritual fulfillment ✅
D) Social rebellion
➡️ The bride is a muse, the marriage a reward.
47. The use of “Phoebus” refers to:
A) Mars
B) Jupiter
C) Apollo, the sun god ✅
D) Neptune
➡️ He asks Phoebus to prolong the day.
48. “With roses red, and violets blue” is an example of:
A) Simile
B) Rhyme and color imagery ✅
C) Paradox
D) Onomatopoeia
➡️ Traditional wedding flower symbolism.
49. Spenser refers to his bride as his:
A) Queen
B) Life’s delight ✅
C) Warrior
D) Song
➡️ A term of deep personal affection.
50. The poem honors both:
A) War and politics
B) Death and rebirth
C) Physical and spiritual love ✅
D) Night and fear
➡️ Both sensual joy and divine blessing are
included.
51. What literary technique is frequently used in describing nature?
A) Antithesis
B) Paradox
C) Imagery ✅
D) Litotes
➡️ Nature in the poem is depicted with vivid
sensory images.
52. Spenser refers to his poetry as a:
A) Religious sermon
B) Temporary task
C) Wreath of eternal praise ✅
D) Mere amusement
➡️ He hopes for poetic immortality through his
marriage song.
53. “Let no evil eyes my bride behold” refers to:
A) Birds
B) Evil spirits or envious people ✅
C) Priests
D) Guests
➡️ A plea for protection from curses or jealousy.
54. The overall movement of the poem reflects a journey from:
A) Sadness to mourning
B) Birth to death
C) Morning desire to night’s fulfillment ✅
D) Loneliness to war
➡️ The poem mirrors the full wedding day, ending
in union.
55. Which phrase best describes the bride’s entrance?
A) “Clouded and silent”
B) “Clad all in white” ✅
C) “Shrouded in flame”
D) “Bearing sorrow”
➡️ She is pure, joyful, and bright.
56. “That all which pass such beauty may admire” reveals Spenser’s:
A) Fear of betrayal
B) Pride in public spectacle ✅
C) Hatred of marriage
D) Dislike of crowds
➡️ He wants the world to admire his beloved.
57. What does the poet want to be “eternized” in verse?
A) His sorrow
B) His city
C) His marriage and wife ✅
D) His enemies
➡️ He immortalizes this special moment in poetry.
58. What mythical beings attend the ceremony in the poem?
A) Elves
B) Nymphs and Muses ✅
C) Satyrs
D) Dragons
➡️ They contribute beauty, art, and nature’s
blessings.
59. What does Spenser ask for after the ceremony is over?
A) Privacy for the couple ✅
B) Celebration from all
C) More music
D) A banquet
➡️ He requests peace for consummation of love.
60. The contrast between day and night reflects:
A) Love vs. war
B) Body vs. soul
C) Outer ceremony vs. inner union ✅
D) Chaos vs. law
➡️ The external world transitions into private
joy.
61. “With lilies decked upon each door” is an example of:
A) Apostrophe
B) Symbolism of purity ✅
C) Irony
D) Sarcasm
➡️ Lilies are traditional for weddings and virtue.
62. The poet associates his wedding with:
A) Christian sacrifice
B) Royal proclamation
C) Heavenly favor and earthly joy ✅
D) Divine punishment
➡️ Both divine and natural blessings are invoked.
63. In the poem, “Phoebus” is begged to:
A) Rain
B) Delay sunset ✅
C) Hide the moon
D) Send flowers
➡️ He wants the wedding day to last longer.
64. “This day I celebrate most sacred” shows:
A) Political loyalty
B) Reverence for marriage ✅
C) Satirical tone
D) Nostalgia
➡️ Spenser considers the day holy and joyful.
65. The poem honors love that is:
A) Temporary
B) Carnal only
C) Divine and eternal ✅
D) Forbidden
➡️ Marriage is treated as a spiritual and eternal
union.
66. The poet fears that envious eyes might bring:
A) Misunderstanding
B) Death
C) Harm or bad luck ✅
D) War
➡️ A classical belief in the “evil eye.”
67. In addition to romantic union, Spenser desires:
A) Gold
B) Glory in battle
C) A family with many children ✅
D) Freedom from all duties
➡️ Fertility and posterity are part of the poem’s
prayer.
68. Which element is not prominently featured in Epithalamion?
A) Mythology
B) Nature
C) Political criticism ✅
D) Time structure
➡️ The poem avoids politics, focusing on love and
celebration.
69. The poet’s call to the muses is a:
A) Mockery
B) Praise of monarchy
C) Traditional poetic invocation ✅
D) Threat
➡️ A classical convention in epic and lyric
poetry.
70. “That heaven’s bright lamp his golden beam doth shed” refers to:
A) Stars
B) Phoebus (Sun) ✅
C) A candle
D) Lightning
➡️ Golden beam = sunlight = Phoebus Apollo.
71. What does Spenser wish to receive from his marriage?
A) Poetry prizes
B) Spiritual and physical harmony ✅
C) Exile
D) Revenge
➡️ He desires complete fulfillment in union.
72. The bride’s beauty is compared to:
A) A ghost
B) A goddess ✅
C) A fallen angel
D) A warrior
➡️ She is likened to Venus or Diana in grace.
73. What does Spenser ultimately fear losing?
A) His fame
B) His kingdom
C) The joy and purity of the wedding day ✅
D) His health
➡️ He wants the moment to last forever.
74. The speaker’s relationship with nature is one of:
A) Fear
B) Harmony ✅
C) Competition
D) Judgment
➡️ Nature joins in celebrating love.
75. The night in the poem is portrayed as:
A) Frightening
B) Solemn
C) Romantic and sacred ✅
D) Regretful
➡️ The union is blessed and holy, even in
intimacy.
76. In Epithalamion, who are the “hours” personified as?
A) Priests
B) Bridesmaids
C) Attendants marking time ✅
D) Angry spirits
➡️ Each stanza tracks an hour of the wedding day.
77. Spenser contrasts outer celebration with:
A) Religious fear
B) Internal despair
C) Inner spiritual and emotional fulfillment ✅
D) Natural disaster
➡️ He balances public joy with personal love.
78. What does Spenser request the angels to do at night?
A) Dance in the heavens
B) Guard his home and marriage bed ✅
C) Call the muses
D) Open the skies
➡️ He prays for protection and sanctity of his
union.
79. The repeated references to “holy bands” in marriage refer to:
A) Political alliance
B) Spiritual union and sacred vow ✅
C) Royal decree
D) Chains of sin
➡️ Marriage is portrayed as divinely ordained.
80. Spenser describes time as:
A) Harsh and fleeting
B) A gentle, unfolding celebration ✅
C) Illusionary
D) Violent
➡️ Each hour builds the beauty of the day.
81. The bride’s dowry, metaphorically, is:
A) Gold
B) Her virtue and beauty ✅
C) A castle
D) Her father’s sword
➡️ She brings purity and grace.
82. What does the poet wish to leave behind through this poem?
A) Military legend
B) A royal petition
C) A literary monument to love ✅
D) A religious sermon
➡️ He hopes the poem will immortalize his love.
83. Which of the following best describes the bride’s portrayal?
A) Passive and weak
B) Cold and distant
C) Divine, radiant, and dignified ✅
D) Rebellious
➡️ She’s honored as both earthly and celestial
beauty.
84. What wish does Spenser express for his descendants?
A) That they enter politics
B) That they become warriors
C) That they be blessed and numerous ✅
D) That they avoid poetry
➡️ Fertility and future joy are part of his envoi.
85. The natural world is called to:
A) Mourn
B) Fight
C) Celebrate and harmonize with the marriage ✅
D) Destroy illusions
➡️ Birds, rivers, and trees all join in blessing.
86. The “ivory port” most likely refers to:
A) The gates of heaven
B) A poetic metaphor for the bridal chamber ✅
C) A chapel’s front door
D) A river dock
➡️ A poetic symbol of sacred union.
87. Spenser’s call for eternal fame reveals:
A) Humility
B) Despair
C) Desire for poetic immortality ✅
D) Anger at rejection
➡️ He wants this personal moment preserved in
verse forever.
88. Which line shows an appeal for silence after the ceremony?
A) “Break forth into joy”
B) “Draw the curtains close” ✅
C) “Clang the bells louder”
D) “Let trumpets roar”
➡️ Privacy is requested for the wedding night.
89. The envoi acts as a:
A) Prelude
B) Final blessing and poetic prayer ✅
C) Political slogan
D) Curse
➡️ A concluding section of personal and poetic
reflection.
90. The bride is never named directly to:
A) Hide her identity
B) Respect poetic decorum ✅
C) Imply fiction
D) Prevent legal issues
➡️ Spenser maintains poetic tradition and
reverence.
91. The reference to “the bridal torch” is symbolic of:
A) Death
B) Sacred union and passion ✅
C) War
D) Madness
➡️ It’s a classical symbol of marital blessing.
92. The unity of body and soul in the poem reflects:
A) Greek drama
B) Renaissance humanism ✅
C) Medieval guilt
D) Puritan rejection of love
➡️ Spiritual and physical joy are united
harmoniously.
93. “That heaven itself with her abundant grace” refers to:
A) The Queen
B) The poet’s muse
C) The bride as a blessing from above ✅
D) Nature
➡️ She is elevated as a divine gift.
94. The poet prays that his song may:
A) Bring war
B) Reach the Queen
C) Outlive the day and win fame ✅
D) Be forgotten in peace
➡️ His final desire is lasting poetic glory.
95. The overall structure of the poem reflects:
A) A hymn
B) A calendar
C) A wedding day hour by hour ✅
D) A debate
➡️ Each stanza maps an hour or phase of the
celebration.
96. The bridal bed is associated with:
A) Mourning
B) Shame
C) Divine fulfillment and peace ✅
D) Judgment
➡️ It is sacred and protected by heaven.
97. The final image of the poem includes:
A) A battlefield
B) A crow
C) A closing curtain and peaceful rest ✅
D) A shattered mirror
➡️ A quiet conclusion to the day’s joy.
98. Which word best captures the poem’s closing tone?
A) Violent
B) Silent
C) Blessed ✅
D) Tragic
➡️ The night ends in serene spiritual and romantic
fulfillment.
99. What theme remains constant throughout the poem?
A) Betrayal
B) Celebration of sacred love ✅
C) Political gain
D) Loss and suffering
➡️ All aspects of the day honor love’s divine
purpose.
100. Epithalamion is best classified as a poem of:
A) Irony
B) Loss
C) Wedding praise and personal devotion ✅
D) Epic warfare
➡️ It’s the classic English wedding ode.
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