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.

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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

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Old Westminster Library - head 1 - Spenser

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

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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...

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