Person    | Male  Born 1552  Died 13/1/1599

Edmund Spenser

Categories: Poetry

Countries: Ireland

Poet.  Probably born in East or West Smithfield. Best known for the epic poem 'The Faerie Queene'.  When Queen Elizabeth failed to arrange payment ("a reason") for a poem he wrote:

I was promis'd on a time,
To have a reason for my rhyme:
But from that time unto this season,
I had neither rhyme or reason.

1580 began work as an administrator in Ireland where he lived until his death, returning to England regularly.  He published nothing during his first 10 years there.  Died Westminster.

In 1938 his tomb in Westminster Abbey's Poets' Corner was opened by people searching for items, such as pens, supposedly placed there at the time of his burial, by other poets, such as Shakespeare. Nothing was found.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Edmund Spenser

Commemorated ati

Islington Library - Spenser

{In the sculptured panel below his feet:} Spenser

Read More

Old Westminster Library - head 1 - Spenser

We first thought Francis Bacon but he normally has more hair, and, so far, al...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Edmund Spenser

Creations i

Nell Gwynne - Sloane Square

She's manipulating a fan but meanwhile, unnoticed by Nell, her dress has slip...

Read More

Other Subjects

Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold

Poet, writer and school inspector.  Born at Laleham-on-Thames, Middlesex, son of Thomas Arnold. He won the Newdigate prize in 1843 with a poem on Cromwell. Appointed a lay inspector of schools in 1...

Person, Education, Poetry, France, Germany, Netherlands

2 memorials
Lemn Sissay

Lemn Sissay

Poet.  Born near Wigan of Ethiopean parentage. Appointed MBE in 2010. Own website.

Person, Poetry

1 memorial
Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti

Poet in the Pre-Raphaelite style.  Sister to Dante; family details are given there. Born at 38 Charlotte Street.  Engaged three times but never married; at least two of them were rejected due to 'r...

Person, Poetry, Seriously Famous

1 memorial
Elizabeth Rundle Charles

Elizabeth Rundle Charles

Born Tavistock, Devon. Née Rundle, married Andrew Charles. Wrote and translated hymns. Author of "Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family". Died Hampstead. In addition to her Wikipedia page and o...

Person, Literature, Poetry

1 memorial
Thomas Woolner

Thomas Woolner

Sculptor and poet. Born Hadleigh Suffolk. Early member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Emigrated to Australia 1852-3 for economic reasons. Buried in the churchyard of St Mary's, Hendon.

Person, Poetry, Sculpture, Australia

4 memorials