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

Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe

Playwright and poet, for definite. Spy? Atheist? Homosexual? Shakespeare? Baptized on 26th February at St George's Church, Canterbury. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His plays inclu...

Person, Espionage, Poetry, Theatre

3 memorials
James Elroy Flecker

James Elroy Flecker

Poet and playwright. Born as Herman James Elroy Flecker in Lewisham. His first book of poems was published in 1907. He joined the consular service in 1908 and had postings in Constantinople and Bei...

Person, Literature, Poetry, Lebanon, Switzerland, Turkey

1 memorial
Rohit Sapra
1 memorial
Sir William Empson

Sir William Empson

Poet and critic. Born near Goole, Yorkshire. Considered a great English critic, his best-known work is his first publication "Seven Types of Ambiguity" 1930. Married Hetta in 1941 and had two sons,...

Person, Poetry

2 memorials
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Poet and critic. Born and brought up in Ottery St Mary, Devon. Pupil at Christ's Hospital, 1781-91, where he became friends with Charles Lamb. Died London. Buried in the chapel of Highgate School....

Person, Literature, Poetry, Seriously Famous

5 memorials