The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto Iv (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 21 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Wonderful Women
by Umaru Kanneh Boima
Freedom To Scratch In Peace
by Olute Aete
Happy New Year
by Felix Menda
Human Beings
by Dana Graslie
Lust
by Wisdom Greatness
An Isolated Tree's Song
by Sayeed Abubakar
A Strange Boy
by Sayeed Abubakar
O Soil
by Sayeed Abubakar
No War, No War-monger
by Sayeed Abubakar
Night's Town
by Sayeed Abubakar

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2414 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)

Edmund Spenser

The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto Iv (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Write your comment about The Faerie Queene, Book I, Canto Iv (excerpts) poem by Edmund Spenser

Recent Interactions*

New Poems

Popular Poets

CANTO IIII	A
To sinfull house of Pride Duessa	B
guides the faithfull knight	C
Where brothers death to wreak Sansjoy	D
doth chalenge him to fight	C
	-
i	A
Young knight what ever that dost armes professe	B
And through long labours huntest after fame	E
Beware of fraud beware of ficklenesse	B
In choice and change of thy deare loved Dame	E
Least thou of her beleeve too lightly blame	E
And rash misweening doe thy hart remove	F
For unto knight there is no greater shame	E
Then lightnesse and inconstancie in love	G
That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly prove	F
	-
ii	A
	-
Who after that he had faire Una lorne	H
Through light misdeeming of her loialtie	C
And false Duessa in her sted had borne	H
Called Fidess' and so supposd to bee	I
Long with her traveild till at last they see	I
A goodly building bravely garnished	C
The house of mightie Prince it seemd to bee	I
And towards it a broad high way that led	C
All bare through peoples feet which thither traveiled	C
	-
iii	A
	-
Great troupes of people traveild thitherward	C
Both day and night of each degree and place	B
But few returned having scaped hard	C
With balefull beggerie or foule disgrace	B
Which ever after in most wretched case	B
Like loathsome lazars by the hedges lay	J
Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace	B
For she is wearie of the toilesome way	J
And also nigh consumed is the lingring day	J
	-
iv	F
	-
A stately Pallace built of squared bricke	K
Which cunningly was without morter laid	C
Whose wals were high but nothing strong nor thick	K
And golden foile all over them displaid	C
That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid	C
High lifted up were many loftie towres	B
And goodly galleries farre over laid	C
Full of faire windowes and delightfull bowres	B
And on the top a Diall told the timely howres	B
	-
v	F
	-
It was a goodly heape for to behould	C
And spake the praises of the workmans wit	C
But full great pittie that so faire a mould	C
Did on so weake foundation ever sit	C
For on a sandie hill that still did flit	C
And fall away it mounted was full hie	L
That every breath of heaven shaked it	C
And all the hinder parts that few could spie	F
Were ruinous and old but painted cunningly	J
	-
vi	F
	-
Arrived there they passed in forth right	C
For still to all the gates stood open wide	C
Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight	C
Cald Malven 'u who entrance none denide	C
Thence to the hall which was on every side	C
With rich array and costly arras dight	C
Infinite sorts of people did abide	C
There waiting long to win the wished sight	C
Of her that was the Lady of that Pallace bright	C
	-
vii	F
	-
By them they passe all gazing on them round	C
And to the Presence mount whose glorious vew	F
Their frayle amazed senses did confound	C
In living Princes court none ever knew	M
Such endlesse richesse and so sumptuous shew	M
Ne Persia selfe the nourse of pompous pride	C
Like ever saw And there a noble crew	M
Of Lordes and Ladies stood on every side	C
Which with their presence faire the place much beautifide	C
	-
viii	F
	-
High above all a cloth of State was spred	C
And a rich throne as bright as sunny day	C
On which there sate most brave embellished	C
With royall robes and gorgeous array	C
A mayden Queene that shone as Titans ray	C
In glistring gold and peerelesse pretious stone	N
Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay	F
To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne	N
As envying her selfe that too exceeding shone	N
	-
ix	F
	-
Exceeding shone like Phoebus fairest childe	C
That did presume his fathers firie wayne	O
And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde	C
Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne	O
Proud of such glory and advancement vaine	O
While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen	O
He leaves the welkin way most beaten plaine	O
And rapt with whirling wheels inflames the skyen	O
With fire not made to burne but fairely for to shyne	O
	-
x	F
	-
So proud she shyned in her Princely state	C
Looking to heaven for earth she did disdayne	O
And sitting high for lowly she did hate	C
Lo underneath her scornefull feete was layne	O
A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne	O
And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright	C
Wherein her face she often vewed fayne	O
And in her selfe lov'd semblance tooke delight	C
For she was wondrous faire as any living wight	C
	-
xi	F
	-
Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was	F
And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell	J
Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas	F
That parentage with pride so did she swell	J
And thundring Jove that high in heaven doth dwell	J
And wield the world she claymed for her syre	C
Or if that any else did Jove excell	J
For to the highest she did still aspyre	C
Or if ought higher were then that did it desyre	C
	-
xii	F
	-
	-
And proud Lucifera men did her call	J
That made her selfe a Queene and crownd to be	F
Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all	J
Ne heritage of native soveraintie	C
But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie	O
Upon the scepter which she now did hold	C
Ne ruld her Realme with lawes but pollicie	F
And strong advizement of six wisards old	C
That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold	C
	-
xiii	F
	-
	-
Soone as the Elfin knight in presence came	E
And false Duessa seeming Lady faire	C
A gentle Husher Vanitie by name	E
Made rowme and passage for them did prepaire	C
So goodly brought them to the lowest stair	C
Of her high throne where they on humble knee	O
Making obeyssance did the cause declare	C
Why they were come her royall state to see	O
To prove the wide report of her great Majestee	C
	-
xiv	F
	-
	-
With loftie eyes halfe loth to looke so low	J
She thanked them in her disdainefull wise	F
Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show	J
Of Princesse worthy scarse them bad arise	F
Her Lordes and Ladies all this while devise	F
Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight	C
Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise	F
Some prancke their ruffes and others trimly dight	C
Their gay attire each others greater pride does spight	C
	-
xv	F
	-
	-
Goodly they all that knight do entertaine	O
Right glad with him to have increast their crew	C
But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine	O
All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew	C
For in that court whylome her well they knew	C
Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd	C
Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew	F
And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd	C
That to strange knight no better countenance allowd	C
	-
xvi	F
	-
	-
Suddein upriseth from her stately place	F
The royall Dame and for her coche doth call	J
All hurtlen forth and she with Princely pace	F
As faire Aurora in her purple pall	J
Out of the East the dawning day doth call	J
So forth she comes her brightnesse brode doth blaze	F
The heapes of people thronging in the hall	J
Do ride each other upon her to gaze	F
Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze	F
	-
xvii	F
	-
	-
So forth she comes and to her coche does clyme	E
Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay	C
That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime	E
And strove to match in royall rich array	C
Great Junoes golden chaire the which they say	C
The Gods stand gazing on when she does ride	C
To Joves high house through heavens bras paved way	C
Drawne of faire Pecocks that excell in pride	C
And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide	C
	-
xviii	F
	-
	-
But this was drawne of six unequall beasts	F
On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde	C
Taught to obay thelr bestiall beheasts	F
With like conditions to their kinds applyde	C
Of which the first that all the rest did guyde	C
Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin	O
Upon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde	C
Arayd in habit blacke and amis thin	O
Like to an holy Monck the service to begin	O
	-
xix	F
	-
	-
And in his hand his Portesse still he bare	C
That much was worne but therein little red	C
For of devotion he had little care	C
Still drownd in sleepe and most of his dayes ded	C
Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed	C
To looken whether it were night or day	C
May seeme t	C