Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene ushered in a new sensibility in English literature as the reunited country entered the seventeenth century. In his distinctive verse form—which came to be known as the Spenserian stanza—Spenser inspired his countrymen with tales of noble adventure, romance, and chivalry.
This first volume of The Faerie Queene explores the virtue of holiness as exemplified by its hero. In a series of allegorical fantasy tales, the Redcrosse Knight travels with his Lady Una as he fights the monster Errour, is tricked by a wizard into believing Una unchaste, and taken captive by a giant before Una rescues him from Despair. Once recovered, the Redcrosse Knight returns to battle to defend Una and her family from a dragon.Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. Spenser is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen of nascent Modern English verse and is often considered one of the greatest poets in the English language.