The Shepheard's Calender: Twelve Aeglogues Proportionable to the Twelve Monethes

by Edmund Spenser

"The Shepheard's Calender: Twelve Aeglogues Proportionable to the Twelve…" by Edmund Spenser is a pastoral poem published in 1579. Spenser's first major work follows the shepherd Colin Clout through twelve months, each eclogue exploring love, faith, and rural life. Written in deliberately archaic language to evoke Chaucer, the poem addresses church abuses, celebrates Queen Elizabeth, and chronicles Colin's heartbreak over Rosalind. With innovative forms for each month and mysterious commentary by "E.K.," this influential work established Spenser's reputation and shaped English poetry.