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Epithalamion
1595

Edmund Spenser Classical Allusions in the Poem

Introduction: This is a marriage song of the poet bridegroom and the title Epithalamion means upon the bridal chamber. The poem opens with the traditional invocation to the Muses for inspiration and blessings to write a poem suiting the occasion and doing justice to the bride who is Spensers would be wife Elizabeth Boyle. The poet depersonalizes the event by creating a persona, bridegroom who is the speaker though the poem is Spensers own song celebrating his marriage. o in each of the remaining stanzas except the concluding one the poet extends invitation to the Nymphs, the Angels, Gods ,Citizens, bachelors, maids, and singing birds to attend the wedding ceremony and bless the couple. Each stanza ends with an Alexandrian comprising a minimum of twelve syllables. The last stanza has seven lines and is called Coda which is usually associated with the shortest ending song of a musical composition..The stanzas have 17 to 18 lines except the last stanza. Each stanza consists of shorter, longer and the longest lines with six, eight and twelve syllables. Stanza I The opening stanza invokes the Nine Muses who had in the past inspired the poet to sing merry and mournful songs. For this special occasion the poet bridegroom seeks the blessings of the Muses to inspire him to sing his bridal song as impressively as Orpheus sang for his wife Eurydice. The last line of each stanza is a refrain. In the first 16 stanzas the refrain exhorts or invites the guests at the wedding to echo loudly their songs in all the three Worlds- the earth, the heaven and the underworld. But from stanza 17 to 23 the poet asks for complete silence on the wedding night and wants that no song or tune should be echoed. Classical Allusion: In Greek mythology Orpheus is said to have lived before the Trojan War and was known for his excellent songs he played on his flute, which it is said made the stones and even wild animals and fishes to stop and listen his song. In the passage, the reference is to tragic incident of Orpheuss wife Eurydices death. When Eurydice died and Pluto, the God of underworld claimed her body, Orpheus went to the underworld and begged Pluto to bring his
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wife back to life. Pluto agreed on the condition that he would play on his flute for him to hear. Orpheus did play the flute and Pluto told him to get out of the underworld and his wife would follow him alive, but he should not for once look back to see if she is following. Orpheus loved his wife intensely and once he turned back and his wife was vanished. Stanza II This stanza addresses the Sun God and asks the bride to wake up soon and dress herself for wedding because Hymen , the God of marriage has already started coming to pendal. The bridegroom implores or requests the Sun to spread his rays in to the bedroom so that the bride may awake. Classical allusion: Hymen ,the God of marriage is said to carry in his hand a bright torch and a veil whenever he goes event to places of marriage so that there should not be any delay for the marriage ceremony. Stanza IV This is addressed to the Nymphs of the Irish sea, rivers and tributaries (]pnadI), to the lightfooted beautiful maids of the forest who protect the beautiful deer. Classical Allusion: Nymphs of Mulla Mulla is a tributary (]pnadI) of the main river Blackwater in Ireland. This river and its tributary are known for the small fishes- trout and pikes. The Nymphs of Mulla are said to keep watch on the hills to protect their deer from wild animals.

Stanza V In this stanza the bridegroom invokes Aurora- the Goddess of dawn, Phoebus the Sun God and invites the summer singing birds, the skylark , the thrush, the blackbird, the shrill voiced owl and Robin red. Classical Allusion : Rosy Morn - Here morning is personified to stand for Goddess of dawn Aurora. Tithonus In Greek mythology it is said that Aurora fell in love with handsome Tithonus and took him away to be her companion at night blessing him with immortality and eternal sleep. The Sun is personified as Phoebus. The birds mentioned here are all various song birds of late spring and early summer because Spensers wedding took place in June 11 th 1595.

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Stanza VI In this stanza the bridegroom compels the bright face of the bride to that of the evening star (Sauk,,,,,,, ). He also appeals to Jove, Jupiter, who is said to be the father of day and night, and even Venus, the Goddess of love , to bring her three handmaids to grace the occasion. Classical Allusion: Hesperus- is the evening star which is the brightest early star before the moon appears in the sky. Day and Night-are personified as daughters of Jupiter (Jove) and Greek and Roman mythology the day brings about months, years and seasons. Cyprian Queen- In both ancient and modern history of Cyprus, Venus is worshipped as the presiding national Goddess. She is believed to be accompanied by three companions standing for light, joy, and fertility which all brides will need. Stanza VII In this section the bridegroom asks all the virgin boys and girls chosen to so stand outside the brides chamber to shower flowers on her and sing her praise when she comes out fully dressed. The bridegroom makes a special request to the Sun God not to send his hot rays to fall on the brides face to scorch it. He requests the Sun to be mild in his heat and in return he will sing his (Suns) praise in his poems all his life. Stanza VIII In this stanza the poet/bridegroom refers to the traditional minstrels musicians and singers who have come to the wedding function with their orchestra of singers, musicians and drummers. As the bedroom door of the bride is about to open the boys in the street and the people shout for Hymen to arrive quickly at the pendal. Stanza IX In this section the poet describes the beauty of the bride while she comes out of her chamber. She long plates of golden hair and she has real pearls and pearl klike fowers fixed in them. As she hears the song praising her beauty , she smiles out of shyness and modesty and not out of pride. Stanza XI Classical allusion: In classical Greek mythology Medusa is one of the three Gorgon (cruel) sisters. She alone was human and she seems to have angered Athens, the presiding Goddess of Athens. The Goddess cursed her and her beautiful long hair wee turned into snakes which made her look ugly and horrible. When people look at her they were struck with
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wonder and fear and were instantly turned into stone. Here the reference seems to be opposite. The beauty of the bride struck everyone with wonder and awe. Stanza XII Classical allusion: Barnaby - June 11th of every year is celebrated as St. Barnaby Day. This day is said to be longest day in the year. The bridegroom wonders as to why the longest day was chosen for wedding day. He feels that though the day is auspicious, on the wedding day the couple should always have longer night and shorter day. Spenser makes use of astronomy by referring to Zodiac in which the Sun in June is at its height and gradually climbs down making shorter and shorter and leaving behind planet cancer. Stanza XVII Classical allusion: Maia - In Greek mythology Maia is the mother of Atlas. In the country of Tempe she had a long bath in the brook of Acidalia. Coming out of the brook she lay on the cool green grass half asleep and half awake. Jove, who saw her in this inviting pose, ravished/raped her and the child of this union was Atlas who bears the burden of universe on his shoulders. Stanza XVIII Classical allusion: Alcmena She was the beautiful maiden of Tyrinthia who laid in her bed at night thinking of her lover who had gone to fight a war. Knowing of her lovers absence Jove ravished her and from the union was born the strongest man of the world, Hercules. Stanza XIX Classical allusion: Cynthia Cynthia is the moon Goddess in Greek mythology is said to have fallen in love with Endymion, a very handsome shepherd of Latmus. She carried him away and kept him with her. Stanza XXII Classical allusion: Juno - Juno is the wife of Jove or Jupiter( apart from Venus). Hebe is the daughter of Jupiter and Juno. The bridegroom seeks the blessings of Juno for large number of good children to be born to them. He also seeks the blessings of Hymen. Hebe is the virtuous and terrific daughter of Jupiter and Juno.

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