Prothalamion by Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser's "Prothalamion" is a lyrical spousal verse, a neologism coined by Spenser himself, meaning "prior to the bridal chamber." Published in 1596, it serves as a preliminary nuptial song for the double wedding of Lady Elizabeth and Lady Catherine Somerset, daughters of Edward Somerset, the Earl of Worcester. The poem celebrates their impending marriages to Henry Gilford and William Peter, respectively, which took place at Essex House on the Strand in London.

"Prothalamion" is often contrasted with Spenser's earlier work, "Epithalamion," written for his own wedding in 1595. While "Epithalamion" is characterized by its exuberance and sensuality, "Prothalamion" is generally considered shorter, more pensive, and more sedate in its pace. It employs a conventional form for a marriage song, utilizing a pastoral setting along the River Thames and incorporating a recurring refrain at the end of each stanza: "Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song." . The poem also invokes pagan deities to bless the couple and protect them from harm.

Line-by-Line Explanation

The poem unfolds through ten stanzas, each contributing to the celebratory atmosphere leading up to the wedding.

Stanza 1 (Lines 1-18): The poem opens with the speaker, identified as Spenser himself, walking along the banks of the River Thames. He describes a calm day, with the gentle breeze of Zephyrus (the west wind) tempering the sun's heat. The speaker reveals his personal distress, stemming from a "long fruitless stay / In prince's court, and expectation vain / Of idle hopes." He seeks solace in nature, finding the environment near the Thames soothing, adorned with flowers and birds. This personal reflection sets a melancholic tone that contrasts with the joyous occasion being celebrated. The stanza concludes with the iconic refrain, an apostrophe to the river, asking it to flow softly until his song is complete.

Stanza 2 (Lines 19-36): The speaker's attention is drawn to a group of nymphs by the river's side. These nymphs, described as "lovely daughters of the flood," are depicted with "greenish locks" and are gathering flowers in wicker baskets. They collect a variety of blooms, including violets, daisies, lilies, primroses, and roses, to create posies for the bridegrooms. The nymphs symbolize purity and are actively preparing for the bridal day, reinforcing the theme of marriage and the natural world.

Stanza 3 (Lines 37-54): Two magnificent swans appear, swimming down the River Lee, a tributary of the Thames. Spenser emphasizes their extraordinary whiteness, comparing them to the snow on Mount Pindus and even to Jove (Jupiter) when he transformed into a swan to woo Leda. The swans are presented as symbols of purity and chastity, so pristine that the river itself seems to hold back its waters to avoid soiling their "silken feathers." This imagery elevates the swans, hinting at their divine or celestial origin.

Stanza 4 (Lines 55-72): The nymphs are astonished by the beauty of the swans, believing them to be "heavenly born, or to be that same pair / Which through the sky draw Venus' silver team." This allusion to Venus, the goddess of love, further connects the swans to themes of love and marriage. The poem suggests the swans were "bred of Somers-heat," a subtle nod to the Somerset family, whose daughters are the subject of the poem. The white lilies gathered by the nymphs are explicitly linked to the virginity and purity of the nymphs themselves.

Stanza 5 (Lines 73-90): The nymphs, filled with excitement for the upcoming wedding, draw more flowers from their baskets and strew them upon the swans and the river. This act of showering flowers is compared to the waters of Peneus, a river in Thessaly, flowing through Tempe and scattered with lilies, making the river appear like a "bride's chamber floor." Two nymphs then weave garlands of the freshest flowers and crown the swans, while one sings a lay in anticipation of the bridal day.

Stanza 6 (Lines 91-108): The nymph's song is a blessing for the "gentle birds" (the swans, representing the brides). She wishes them joy, contentment, and the favor of Venus and Cupid, the god of love. The song prays for the removal of "love's dislike and friendship's faulty guile" and for "endless peace," "blessed plenty," and "fruitful issue" (children) to confound their foes and multiply their joys. This stanza directly addresses the themes of love, fertility, and marital bliss.

Stanza 7 (Lines 109-126): The other nymphs echo the song, and even the gentle echo from the ground resounds their accents. The swans continue their journey down the River Lee, which murmurs low, seemingly showing its "glad affection" by slowing its stream. Other fowl flock around the swans, attending to them as lesser stars attend to Cynthia (the moon), signifying the swans' superior beauty and importance. This scene emphasizes the harmonious integration of nature in the celebration.

Stanza 8 (Lines 127-144): The procession of swans and accompanying birds eventually reaches "merry London," which the speaker fondly calls his "most kindly nurse." He reflects on his own connection to London, despite taking his name from "another place." The poem describes the "bricky towers" of the Temple, where lawyers now reside but where Templar Knights once lived. The speaker then mentions a "stately place" nearby where he received "gifts and goodly grace" from a "great lord," whose absence he now feels. This stanza introduces a more personal and somewhat melancholic note, hinting at Spenser's own struggles and disappointments in court.

Stanza 9 (Lines 145-162): The focus shifts to a "noble peer" who now lodges in the stately place, described as "Great England's glory, and the world's wide wonder." This is a clear reference to Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, a prominent military figure whose "dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder." Spenser praises Essex's "prowess and victorious arms" for freeing England from "foreign harms" and ensuring "great Elisa's glorious name may ring / Through all the world." This section serves as a panegyric to Essex and Queen Elizabeth I, connecting the private celebration of marriage to the public glory of the nation.

Stanza 10 (Lines 163-180): The noble lord (Essex) issues forth from the towers, likened to "radiant Hesper" (the evening star). He is accompanied by "two gentle knights of lovely face and feature," who are compared to the "twins of Jove" (Castor and Pollux). These knights are the bridegrooms, Henry Gilford and William Peter. They receive the "two fair birds" (the brides), and at the "appointed tide," each makes his bride. The poem concludes with the final repetition of the refrain, signifying the culmination of the journey and the imminent wedding.

Prothalamion by Edmund Spenser I. Line-Wise Meaning of Prothalamion II. Complete Analysis of the Poem

Themes

"Prothalamion" explores several key themes:

• The Comfort of Nature: The poem begins with the speaker seeking solace in the natural beauty of the Thames, highlighting nature's ability to ease human pain and provide a setting for celebration.
• Marriage and the Natural World: The impending marriages are deeply intertwined with natural imagery. Nymphs, flowers, swans, and the river itself all participate in and symbolize the purity, beauty, and fertility associated with the union.
• The Fragility of Perfection: While celebrating beauty and joy, there are subtle hints of fragility, such as the river being careful not to soil the swans' feathers, suggesting that even perfect beauty requires protection.
• Public and Private Celebration: The poem seamlessly blends the private joy of the double wedding with public praise for prominent figures like the Earl of Essex and Queen Elizabeth I, reflecting the interconnectedness of personal and national fortunes in Elizabethan England.
• Classical Allusion and Mythology: Spenser extensively uses classical mythology, invoking figures like Zephyrus, Titan, Jove, Leda, Venus, Cupid, Cynthia, Peneus, and Hesper, enriching the poem with layers of meaning and elevating the significance of the event.

Poetic Devices

Spenser employs a rich array of poetic devices in "Prothalamion":

• Refrain: The repeated line "Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song" serves as a unifying element, creating a musical quality and emphasizing the speaker's desire to complete his narrative.
• Personification: The Thames, Zephyrus, and the River Lee are all personified, given human-like qualities such as playing, speaking, and showing affection.
• Simile and Metaphor: The poem is replete with comparisons, such as the swans being whiter than Jove or Leda and the river strewn with flowers resembling a "bride's chamber floor."
• Allusion: Numerous allusions to classical mythology and historical figures enrich the poem's context and meaning.
• Symbolism: Swans symbolize purity and chastity, flowers represent beauty and fertility, and the Thames itself becomes a symbol of England and the flow of life.

Conclusion

"Prothalamion" stands as a testament to Spenser's poetic skill, blending personal reflection with celebratory verse and weaving together natural beauty, classical mythology, and contemporary political praise. It remains a significant work in English literature, showcasing the elegance and complexity of Elizabethan poetry.

Prothalamion Poem

By Edmund Spenser

CALM was the day, and through the trembling air

Sweet breathing Zephyrus did softly play,

A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay

Hot Titan's beams, which then did glister fair;

When I whose sullen care,

Through discontent of my long fruitless stay

In prince's court, and expectation vain

Of idle hopes, which still do fly away

Like empty shadows, did afflict my brain,

Walked forth to ease my pain

Along the shore of silver streaming Thames,

Whose rutty bank, the which his river hems,

Was painted all with variable flowers,

And all the meads adorned with dainty gems,

Fit to deck maidens' bowers,

And crown their paramours,

Against the bridal day, which is not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

There, in a meadow, by the river's side,

A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy,

All lovely daughters of the flood thereby,

With goodly greenish locks, all loose untied,

As each had been a bride;

And each one had a little wicker basket,

Made of fine twigs, entrailed curiously,

In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket,

And with fine fingers cropt full featously

The tender stalks on high.

Of every sort, which in that meadow grew,

They gathered some; the violet pallid blue,

The little daisy, that at evening closes,

The virgin lily, and the primrose true,

With store of vermeil roses,

To deck their bridegrooms' posies

Against the bridal day, which was not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

With that, I saw two swans of goodly hue

Come softly swimming down along the Lee;

Two fairer birds I yet did never see.

The snow which doth the top of Pindus strew,

Did never whiter shew,

Nor Jove himself, when he a swan would be

For love of Leda, whiter did appear:

Yet Leda was they say as white as he,

Yet not so white as these, nor nothing near.

So purely white they were,

That even the gentle stream, the which them bare,

Seemed foul to them, and bade his billows spare

To wet their silken feathers, lest they might

Soil their fair plumes with water not so fair,

And mar their beauties bright,

That shone as heaven's light,

Against their bridal day, which was not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

Eftsoons the nymphs, which now had flowers their fill,

Ran all in haste, to see that silver brood,

As they came floating on the crystal flood.

Whom when they saw, they stood amazed still,

Their wondering eyes to fill.

Them seemed they never saw a sight so fair,

Of fowls so lovely, that they sure did deem

Them heavenly born, or to be that same pair

Which through the sky draw Venus' silver team;

For sure they did not seem

To be begot of any earthly seed,

But rather angels, or of angels' breed:

Yet were they bred of Somers-heat they say,

In sweetest season, when each flower and weed

The earth did fresh array,

So fresh they seemed as day,

Even as their bridal day, which was not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

Then forth they all out of their baskets drew

Great store of flowers, the honour of the field,

That to the sense did fragrant odours yield,

All which upon those goodly birds they threw,

And all the waves did strew,

That like old Peneus' waters they did seem,

When down along by pleasant Tempe's shore,

Scattered with flowers, through Thessaly they stream,

That they appear through lilies' plenteous store,

Like a bride's chamber floor.

Two of those nymphs meanwhile, two garlands bound,

Of freshest flowers which in that mead they found,

The which presenting all in trim array,

Their snowy foreheads therewithal they crowned,

Whilst one did sing this lay,

Prepared against that day,

Against their bridal day, which was not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

'Ye gentle birds, the world's fair ornament,

And heaven's glory, whom this happy hour

Doth lead unto your lovers' blissful bower,

Joy may you have and gentle heart's content

Of your love's complement:

And let fair Venus, that is queen of love,

With her heart-quelling son upon you smile,

Whose smile, they say, hath virtue to remove

All love's dislike, and friendship's faulty guile

For ever to assoil.

Let endless peace your steadfast hearts accord,

And blessed plenty wait upon your board,

And let your bed with pleasures chaste abound,

That fruitful issue may to you afford,

Which may your foes confound,

And make your joys redound

Upon your bridal day, which is not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.'

So ended she; and all the rest around

To her redoubled that her undersong,

Which said their bridal day should not be long.

And gentle echo from the neighbour ground

Their accents did resound.

So forth those joyous birds did pass along,

Adown the Lee, that to them murmured low,

As he would speak, but that he lacked a tongue,

Yet did by signs his glad affection show,

Making his stream run slow.

And all the fowl which in his flood did dwell

Gan flock about these twain, that did excel

The rest so far as Cynthia doth shend

The lesser stars. So they, enranged well,

Did on those two attend,

And their best service lend,

Against their wedding day, which was not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

At length they all to merry London came,

To merry London, my most kindly nurse,

That to me gave this life's first native source;

Though from another place I take my name,

An house of ancient fame.

There when they came, whereas those bricky towers,

The which on Thames' broad aged back do ride,

Where now the studious lawyers have their bowers

There whilom wont the Templar Knights to bide,

Till they decayed through pride:

Next whereunto there stands a stately place,

Where oft I gained gifts and goodly grace

Of that great lord, which therein wont to dwell,

Whose want too well now feels my friendless case.

But ah, here fits not well

Old woes but joys to tell

Against the bridal day, which is not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

Yet therein now doth lodge a noble peer,

Great England's glory, and the world's wide wonder,

Whose dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder,

And Hercules' two pillars standing near

Did make to quake and fear:

Fair branch of honour, flower of chivalry,

That fillest England with thy triumph's fame,

Joy have thou of thy noble victory,

And endless happiness of thine own name

That promiseth the same:

That through thy prowess and victorious arms,

Thy country may be freed from foreign harms;

And great Elisa's glorious name may ring

Through all the world, filled with thy wide alarms,

Which some brave Muse may sing

To ages following,

Upon the bridal day, which is not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

From those high towers this noble lord issuing,

Like radiant Hesper when his golden hair

In th'Ocean billows he hath bathed fair,

Descended to the river's open viewing,

With a great train ensuing.

Above the rest were goodly to be seen

Two gentle knights of lovely face and feature

Beseeming well the bower of any queen,

With gifts of wit and ornaments of nature,

Fit for so goodly stature;

That like the twins of Jove they seemed in sight,

Which deck the baldric of the heavens bright.

They two forth pacing to the river's side,

Received those two fair birds, their love's delight;

Which, at th' appointed tide,

Each one did make his bride

Against their bridal day, which is not long:

      Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.