''Complaints'' is a poetry collection by

Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; – 13 January 1599 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English poet best known for ''The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the House of Tudor, Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is re ...

, published in 1591. It contains nine poems. Its publisher, William Ponsonby, added an introduction of his own.

''The Ruins of Time''

The poem is narrated by Verulame, female spirit of Verulamium, and praises the late

Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years. Dudley's youth was ove ...

, though perhaps in an ironic tone.

''The Teares of the Muses''

This poem was dedicated to Alice Spencer, Countess of Derby. It was composed around 1580. We hear from the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

in order:

Clio In Greek mythology, Clio ( , ; ), also spelled Kleio, Сleio, or Cleo, is the muse of history, or in a few mythological accounts, the muse of lyre-playing. Etymology Clio's name is derived from the Greek root κλέω/κλείω (meaning ...

, Melpomene, Thalia,

Euterpe Euterpe (; , from + ) was one of the Muses in Greek mythology, presiding over music. In late Classical times, she was named muse of lyric poetry. She has been called "Giver of delight" by ancient poets. Mythology Euterpe was born as one of t ...

, Terpsichore,

Erato In Greek mythology, Erato (; ) is one of the Greek Muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. The name would mean "desired" or "lovely", if derived from the same root as Eros, as Apollonius of Rhodes playfully sugge ...

Calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; ) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses". Mythology Calliope had two famous sons, OrpheusH ...

Urania Urania ( ; ; modern Greek shortened name ''Ránia''; meaning "heavenly" or "of heaven") was, in Greek mythology, the muse of astronomy and astrology. Urania is the goddess of astronomy and stars, her attributes being the globe and compass. T ...

, and

Polyhymnia Polyhymnia (; ), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), is, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime. Etymology Polyhymnia name comes from the Greek words "poly" ...

. The order is traditional, following a Latin

mnemonic A mnemonic device ( ), memory trick or memory device is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory, often by associating the information with something that is easier to remember. It makes use of e ...

poem ''De musarum inventis'', and had been adopted by the earlier English writer Gabriel Harvey in his ''Smithus''. The poem is concerned with the state of contemporary literature, but also mourns the death of the poet Richard Willes in about 1579. It was suggested by William Warburton in the 18th century that the lines from Shakespeare's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' on the nine Muses mourning ''the death/ of Learning, first in beggary'' refer to this poem.

''Virgils Gnat''

A translation of '' Culex'', an epyllion traditionally attributed to

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

, it is a beast fable, and was dedicated to

, who had died in 1588.

''Prosopoeia, or Mother Hubberds Tale''

This work was dedicated to Anne Spencer, Baroness Mounteagle. The 1591 version is a revision of the original. Its inclusion was taken at the time to be the reason ''Complaints'' was rapidly banned. The beast fable aspect was understood as an evident allegory of the position at court of Lord Burleigh, in the character of the Fox. Richard Verstegan, the Catholic historian, cited the work in his ''A Declaration of the True Causes of the Great Troubles'' (1592), treating it as if factual on Burghley. Other Catholics,

Thomas Lodge Thomas Lodge (September 1625) was an English writer and medical practitioner whose life spanned the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Biography Early life Thomas Lodge was born about 1557 in West Ham, the second son of Sir Thomas Lodge ...

in his dialogue ''Catharos'', and Sir Thomas Tresham in correspondence, also paid close attention to its content. The Fox has also been read as a credible satire on Adam Loftus, Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, an ally of Burleigh.

''The Ruines of Rome''

Based on ''Les Antiquitez de Rome'' (1558) by Joachim du Bellay.

''Muiopotmos: or The Fate of the Butterflie''

''Muiopotmos'' was dedicated to Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon. It is a tightly-structured poem in which the butterfly Clarion is killed by the spider Aragnoll.

''Visions of the Worlds Vanitie''

• Theme: The fleeting nature of earthly pleasures. • Summary: This sequence of allegorical visions critiques the pursuit of worldly desires, emphasising the inevitability of death and divine judgment. • Analysis: The poem reflects Spenser’s Christian humanist worldview, offering a moral critique of materialism and ambition.

''The Visions of Bellay''

Some of the sonnets in this section, and the final ''Visions of Petrarch'', had earlier versions in ''A theatre wherein be represented as wel the miseries & calamities that follow the voluptuous worldlings'' (1569) translated by Spenser (and others) from the original by Jan van der Noot.

''The Visions of Petrarch''

This work, with the preceding one, is a rewriting of Spenser's first published work, on the theme of Roman liberty and its end. It is not completely clear that authorship lies with Spenser The origins of this poem lay in a version via

Clément Marot Clément Marot (23 November 1496 – 12 September 1544) was a French Renaissance poet. He was influenced by the writers of the late 15th century and paved the way for the Pléiade, and is undoubtedly the most important poet at the court of Fr ...

's French of ''Standomi un giorno solo a la fenestra'', which is ''

canzone Literally 'song' in Italian, a canzone (; : ''canzoni''; cognate with English ''to chant'') is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which ...

'' 323 by

Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...

. The ''canzone'', in a mixed form as first translated, was then adapted to the sonnet sequence form, with seven sonnets, by the addition of some couplets and other changes. The result is a more rounded "complaint".

Notes

External links

Texts at spenserians.cath.vt.edu:
''Ruines of Time''''The Tears of the Muses''''Virgil's Gnat''''Prosopopoia: or Mother Hubberds Tale''''Ruines of Rome: by Bellay''''Muiopotmos, or the Fate of the Butterflie''''Visions of the Worlds Vanitie''''The Visions of Bellay''''The Visions of Petrarch. Formerly translated.''
{{Edmund Spenser 1591 books Poetry by Edmund Spenser English poetry collections