The Faerie Queene is the first great epic poem in the English language. It is a long and complex allegory which presents the first-time reader with many difficulties of allusion and interpretation.This volume is the only convenient and up-to-date guide to Spenser's poem, and is designed as a handbook to be consulted by students while reading the poem. Each chapter is devoted to a separate book of the poem, and sub-sections treat particular episodes or sequences in detail.