Yes, the Amoretti is where I think those students who found the
Epithalamion interesting would go next. As a very first introduction to
Spenser, though, given tight class time scheduling constraints, I think
Epithalamion is the best starting point.
As a "very first Spenser reading" for undergraduates, Amoretti will seem
quaint; the Amoreti also lack the clear unity of Epithalamion (IMO). The
Calender will draw complaints of "huh? WTF is this about?" from any
student who knows and cares nothing about classical literature. FQ, even
the first book, suffers as an introduction to Spenser in the ways Steven
Willett described.
Picture, for today's undergraduates who only want to read post-1800
works, a James Joyce who produced only Chamber Music, Dubliners,
Portrait, Exiles, and Finnegans Wake. Now, wouldn't that Joyce be a
formidable obstacle for undergraduates a couple hundred years from now,
or even today? Spenser's production list is akin to that mythical Joyce,
in my opinion. Brilliant small works, a massively difficult to
comprehend without extensive study masterpiece, and no bridge in between
(a la Joyce's "Ulysses").
The structure of Spenser's oeuvre is an obstacle to introducing him to
undergraduate students. I consider Epithalamion the most brilliant small
work; hence my recommendation that professors advocate its teaching in
courses that cover 1500-1700 English literature.
Kevin
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Roger Kuin wrote:
> I'll second Kevin's thought on the Epithalamion, with a small addition:
> for years I taught a senior undergraduate course in Sidney and Spenser,
> where we read, first the Defence of Poesy and Astrophil and Stella, then
> the Amoretti and the Epithalamion.
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