Eternal Song Of Love

This thesis attempts to study Edmund Spenser's unique recognition of love and marriage in Amoretti. Though lived in the Renaissance period, which was characterized by the dread of women in love poetry, Spenser strived to depart from the established sonnet convention and succeeded in conveying his own conception of love and marriage in a completely unique way. This thesis consists of three chapters and studies Spenser's unique conception of love and marriage through analysis of imagery in the sonnets of Amoretti from three perspectives: Spenser's inheritance of traditional imagery, Spenser's innovation and development on imagery, and the relationship between Spenser's imagery to the courtship described in Amoretti.Chapter One explores Spenser's inheritance of traditional sonnet imagery in his Amoretti. It mainly embodies two aspects. One is the traditional images with ample effect on the description of love in love sonnets; and the other is Spenser's ability to apprehend the sonnet tradition and the excellence in his capacity as faithful successor of sonnet tradition while writing Amoretti.Chapter Two studies Spenser's unique understanding of love and marriage by using imagery, concentrating on how he handles both traditional and original images in the illustrations of his particular ideas about love and marriage in Amoretti.Chapter Three examines imagery's connection with the courtship described in Amoretti, and studies, through the thorough analysis of imagery, the object, intention and function of courtship, as well as Spenser's distinct attitude towards love and marriage in Amoretti.The conclusion, firstly, points out that a composition of sonnet traditional imagery in Amoretti and the effect of Spenser's using of them. Secondly, it makes a general revaluation of the particularities of Amoretti. Finally, it draws the conclusion, Spenser's contribution to love sonnets.