Reading List of English Poetry Before 1837 Geoffrey Chaucer(1340--1400) The Canterbury Tales a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English Edmund Spenser (1552--1599) The Faerie Queene Spenser's masterpiece is the epic poem The Faerie Queene.The first three books of The Faerie Queene were published in 1590,and a second set of three books were published in 1596.Spenser originally indicated that he intended the poem to consist of twelve books,so the version of the poem we have today is incomplete.Despite this,it remains one of the longest poems in the English language.It is an allegorical work, and can be read (as Spenser presumably intended)on several levels of allegory, including as praise of Queen Elizabeth I.In a completely allegorical context,the poem follows several knights in an examination of several virtues.In Spenser's "A Letter of the Authors,"he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in allegorical devises,"and that the aim behind The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline." William Shakespeare(1564--1616) 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare,which covers themes such as the passage of time,love,beauty and mortality.The first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man; the last 28 to a woman. 1.From fairest creatures we desire increase 31.Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts 62.Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye 130.My mistress'eyes are nothing like the sun Robert Burns(1759--1796) Auld Lang Syne Scots Wha Hae A Red,Red Rose Ae Fond Kiss English Drama Before 1837 William Shakespeare(1564--1616)Reading List of English Poetry Before 1837 Geoffrey Chaucer (1340--1400) The Canterbury Tales a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English Edmund Spenser (1552--1599) The Faerie Queene Spenser's masterpiece is the epic poem The Faerie Queene. The first three books of The Faerie Queene were published in 1590, and a second set of three books were published in 1596. Spenser originally indicated that he intended the poem to consist of twelve books, so the version of the poem we have today is incomplete. Despite this, it remains one of the longest poems in the English language. It is an allegorical work, and can be read (as Spenser presumably intended) on several levels of allegory, including as praise of Queen Elizabeth I. In a completely allegorical context, the poem follows several knights in an examination of several virtues. In Spenser's "A Letter of the Authors," he states that the entire epic poem is "cloudily enwrapped in allegorical devises," and that the aim behind The Faerie Queene was to "fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline.” William Shakespeare (1564--1616) 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare, which covers themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. The first 126 sonnets are addressed to a young man; the last 28 to a woman. 1. From fairest creatures we desire increase 31. Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts 62. Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye 130. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun Robert Burns (1759--1796) Auld Lang Syne Scots Wha Hae A Red, Red Rose Ae Fond Kiss English Drama Before 1837 William Shakespeare (1564--1616)