BOOK ONE
My interest in transposing The Faerie Queene began when I was teaching a portion of the poem to ninth graders. Spenser’s world full of enchanters, monsters, fumbling knights, and mighty women is enthralling; his imagery is life-giving; yet, Spenser’s original text is simply too difficult for most freshmen to read. Students who could handle Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet truly struggled with Spenser, though after I walked them slowly through his first canto, they wanted more. Providing a text-faithful, contemporary prose rendering teenagers could enjoy was the dream that launched this endeavor.
INTRODUCTION TO
BOOK TWO
We don’t use the word “temperance” very often these days, so let’s begin by defining the term: a temperate person has mastery over her impulses. Who wouldn’t want this level of self-control—but how in the world do we get there? Whether we are trying to spend less time on social media, working to get in better shape, or fighting against reckless spending, most of us know how difficult it can be to resist temptation. For over two thousand years, humans have recognized this internal struggle, trying to figure out how temperance works and how it fits inside a larger moral framework. We all admire and desire restraint, but how do we achieve it? Do we simply flex our willpower, or is God’s assistance required?
INTRODUCTION TO
BOOK TWO, CANTO TEN
As you already know, after Guyon’s collapse, Arthur and Guyon visit Alma’s House of Temperance. Her residence, a lovely and orderly physical space, is a metaphor of the temperate human body, containing rooms that represent affection, bodily processes, and thought. The well-ordered, merry atmosphere of the House of Temperance contrasts with both Mammon’s ruthless underworld (Canto Seven) and Acrasia’s depraved Bower of Bliss (Canto Twelve).
INTRODUCTION TO
BOOKS THREE AND FOUR
Welcome to Volume Two of The Faerie Queene. The introduction to Volume One contains important information about the goals, methods, and limitations of this series, as well as explanations of various genres, techniques, and patterns found in this poem. It is important for you to understand how my rendering works and what it can never offer, so I hope you will read that first introduction before progressing too far here.
INTRODUCTION TO
BOOKS FIVE AND SIX
Welcome to Volume Three of The Faerie Queene! The introduction to Volume One contains important information about the goals, methods, and limitations of this series, as well as explanations of various genres, techniques, and patterns found in this poem. It is important for you to understand how my rendering works and what it can never offer, so I hope you will read that general introduction before progressing too far here.