The Faerie Queene

With byzantine plots, archaic diction, and inconsistent spelling, the text of the poem is relatively messy. Spenser contrasts the knotty content with a tidy form. Spenser contains the epic in nine-line stanzas, with Lines 1-8 featuring iambic pentameter, or five pairs of unstressed, stressed syllables. Line 9 turns into an alexandrine, so there are six pairs of unstressed, stressed syllables. The meter fastens the topsy-turvy adventures to a predictable rhythm. The ABABBCBCC rhyme scheme adds to the stability and brings a melody to the tribulations and discord. At the same time, the deviant Line 9 reflects the unevenness of the epic. It’s as if there’s always an added element to disrupt any harmony the characters might achieve, and the additional Line 9 symbolizes the inevitable presence of an external, disruptive element.

As the type of stanza in The Faerie Queene didn’t exist until Spenser created it, the stanza bears Spenser’s name, and it’s called a Spenserian stanza. Due to the poem’s length, there’s more to the form than meter, rhyme scheme, and stanza length. Like the form of the stanzas, Spenser keeps the form of the books stable, so there’s a proem, an introduction of sorts, followed by 12 cantos—sections or chapters.