a. English gentleman b brilliant and fascinating personalit C. courtier (2)works a Arcadia: pastoral romance b. Astrophel and Stella (108): sonnet sequence to Penelope dvereux--platonic devotion Petrarchan conceits and original feelings -moving to creativeness-building of a narrative story theme -love originality-act of writing C Defense of Poesy an apology for imaginative literature beginning of literary criticism. 3. Edmund Spenser (1) life: Cambridge- Sidney's friend-"Areopagus Ireland- Westminster Abbey (2)works a. The Shepherds Calendar: the budding of English poetry in Renaissance b. Amoretti and epithalamion sonnet sequence C Faerie queene I The general end--A romantic and allegorical epic-steps to virtue I 12 books and 12 virtues: Holiness, temperance, justice and courtesy I Two-level function: part of the story and part of allegory (symbolic meaning) I Many allusions to classical writers I Themes: puritanism nationalism humanism and Renaissance Neoclassicism -a Christian humanist (3) Spenserian Stanza ll. English Prose 1. Thomas mo (1) Life: " Renaissance man", scholar, statesman theorist prose writer, diplomat, patron of arts learned Greek at Canterbury college, Oxford8 a. English gentleman; b. brilliant and fascinating personality; c. courtier. （2） works a. Arcadia: pastoral romance; b. Astrophel and Stella （108）: sonnet sequence to Penelope Dvereux—platonic devotion. Petrarchan conceits and original feelings-moving to creativeness—building of a narrative story; theme-love originality-act of writing. c. Defense of Poesy: an apology for imaginative literature— beginning of literary criticism. 3. Edmund Spenser （1） life: Cambridge - Sidney's friend - “Areopagus” – Ireland - Westminster Abbey. （2） works a. The Shepherds Calendar: the budding of English poetry in Renaissance. b. Amoretti and Epithalamion: sonnet sequence c. Faerie Queene: l The general end——A romantic and allegorical epic—steps to virtue. l 12 books and 12 virtues: Holiness, temperance, justice and courtesy. l Two-level function: part of the story and part of allegory （symbolic meaning） l Many allusions to classical writers. l Themes: puritanism, nationalism, humanism and Renaissance Neoclassicism—a Christian humanist. （3） Spenserian Stanza. III.English Prose 1. Thomas More （1） Life: “Renaissance man”, scholar, statesman, theorist, prose writer, diplomat, patron of arts a. learned Greek at Canterbury College, Oxford;