METAPHOR AND BELIEF IN THE FAERIE QUEENE

METAPHOR AND BELIEF IN THE FAERIE QUEENE

' da '" :tr=.. ~..... oof.'ir... t ~~!~,~,~,... IriS" RlilNOOERVS 11 -t&;;>,q Albrecht Dürer: The Rhinoceros, woodcut, first edition, 1515 (British Museum)

Metaphor and Belief In The Faerie Queene Rufus Wood

First published in Great Britain 1997 by MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-349-39238-4 DOI 10.1057/9780230379817 ISBN 978-0-230-37981-7 (ebook) First published in the Uni ted States of America 1997 by ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC., Scholarly and Reference Division, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 ISBN 978-0-312-17414-9 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wood, Rufus, 1961- Metaphor and belief in The faerie queene! by Rufus Wood. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-312-17414-9 (cloth) I. Spenser, Edmund, 1552'1-1599. Faerie queene. 2: Christianity and literature-england-history-16th century. 3. Christian poetry, English-History and criticism. 4. Belief and doubt in literature. S. Renaissance-England. 6. Allegory. 7. Metaphor. I. Title. PR2358.w65 1997 821'.3-<lc21 96--53861 CIP Rufus Wood 1997 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1997 978-0-333-61367-2 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting Iimited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WIP 9HE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. 10 9 8 7 6 5 06 05 04 03 02 01 432 00 99 98 97

Für Athanase and Emily

Contents Frontispiece: The Rhinoceros by Albrecht Dürer Acknowledgements Introduction: The Elizabethan Poetics of Metaphor Figuring Forth Giddy Metaphors To Variety Inclined Heuristic Metaphor and The Faerie Queene 1 Metaphor as an Act of Faith Not Seeing the Wood for the Trees Not Seeing the Man for the Tree Not Seeing Is Not Believing Blindness and Insight 2 Metaphor as a Process of Change Metaphor, Metamorphosis and Emblem Conceiving Metaphors of Love Mimetic Metaphor 3 Metaphor as an Act of Idolatry Allegory and Idolatry From Iconomach to Iconoclast Idylls of Allegory 4 Meta-Metaphors Mutabilitie's Mutation The Nature of the Poem Notes List of Works Cited Index ii ix 1 1 10 15 19 28 28 37 50 62 76 76 93 110 127 127 141 157 181 181 188 205 222 229 vii

Acknowledgements I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the excellent teachers who have taught me over the years and made the writing of this book possible. My interest in The Faerie Queene was initiated by the enthusiasm of Brian Nellist who shared his encyclopaedic knowledge of Renaissance matters with me. The timely assistance of Edward Bums ensured that I did not lose momentum at a point when I was in danger of losing my way. The encouragement and advice of Nick Davis has been a source of continual erudition and inspiration without which I could not have finished wh at often seemed like an 'endlesse worke'. His expertise in medieval and Renaissance studies is only equalled by his generosity. I was granted aperiod of research leave by Liverpool Hope University College which enabled me to progress more rapidly with Chapter 3. I have also received much help from friends and colleagues in the English Department at the College. In particular, I would like to thank Elizabeth Cosnett, Michael Parker and Richard Greaves, all of whom have offered useful advice after reading parts of the manuscript. Two other readers who found time to read the manuscript during particularly busy periods for them both, and made suggestions which have been gratefully incorporated, are Gordon Nichols and Willy Maley. I am also indebted to the editors Margaret Bartley and Charmian Hearne with whom I have had the pleasure of working at Macmillan. Their faith in this project has never wavered. Finally, I would like to thank all the members of my family who have given me support. In particular, Marcus Wood donated the computer on which the manuscript was written and Beatrice Wood provided much-appreciated assistance with proofreading. I have relied upon the patience and care of my wife throughout; she, above all, has had a sustaining influence upon me. ix