I didn't think I would get involved in this thread, not being a true
Spenserian, and I blush to say I haven't read it all. But Ken Gross's
observation about Spenser and Blake is worth highlighting because of the
very strong Spenser/Blake/Frye connection. Quite apart from the poetic
and (as we see from the discussion) philosophical links, there is an
aspect of intellectual history involved. I may not have been reading
Spenser much lately, but I just published a volume in the Collected
Works of Northrop Frye, his "Early Critical Writings" and the
Spenser/Blake connection is everywhere in his work. Though contemporary
philosophical and scientific thinking (rightly I believe) is moving away
from body/mind dualism, its poetic and intellectual heritage is strong
and -- in Frye's case (judging from his book sales!) still fruitful.
Germaine.
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Germaine Warkentin // English (Emeritus)
VC 205, Victoria College (University of Toronto),
73 Queen's Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ont. M5S 1K7, CANADA
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