Spenser's Irish Work

'A scholarly look beyond the debilitating anxieties of some Spenser criticism towards Spenser's Irish elements. ... A superb addition to the gathering wave of historical approaches to Spenser. The effective entry of real history into reading Spenser has profound results for interpretation and understanding ... Herron sets a high example which cannot be ignored.' J. B. Lethbridge, TA1/4bingen University 'The arguments are well presented and cogently argued... the cross disciplinary nature of the study, incorporating history, geography, theology, colonial studies makes it a valuable addition to the already voluminous writings on the poet.' North Munster Antiquarian Journal 'The meticulous crossreferencing of Calidore's showdown with the Blatant Beast in a ruined monastery to ex-monastic lands in Ireland exemplifies Herron's methodology of amassing historical, topographical, and linguistic details around some of Spenser's more enigmatic and troubling allegories. More than simply an exercise in nuanced close-reading or assiduous historical interpretation, Herron's book offers a valuable addition to the ongoing work of establishing and understanding Spenser's Irish place in colonial Ireland. It also demonstrates the rewards to be gained for the study of Spenser's biography from the (once unfashionable) critical practice of using the poet's own verse-now carefully situated in context-to shed light on his life and career... This book will surely pave the way for further extended treatments of the questions and sources of evidence covered here.' Notes and Queries