Edmund Spenser's influential pastoral poem, The Shepherd's Calender, published in 1579, holds a significant place in English literature. This work is structured as a series of twelve eclogues, one for each month of the year, reflecting the changing seasons and various aspects of life, including love, poetry, and religious themes.

The question asks about the dedication of this specific work by Spenser.

Analysing The Shepherd's Calender Dedication

Spenser dedicated The Shepherd's Calender to a prominent figure of his time. Understanding the literary and social connections of the era helps identify the dedicatee.

Let's look at the options provided:

• Wyatt (Sir Thomas Wyatt)
• Surrey (Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey)
• Sidney (Sir Philip Sidney)
• Bacon (Francis Bacon)

Sir Thomas Wyatt and the Earl of Surrey were pioneers of English Renaissance poetry, known for introducing the sonnet form to English literature, but they belonged to an earlier generation than Spenser's peak publication period (1579 for this work).

Francis Bacon was a contemporary and later a major figure in philosophy and science, but his primary connection was not typically with the specific literary circle associated with Spenser in 1579.

Sir Philip Sidney, on the other hand, was a celebrated poet, critic, and courtier. He was a key figure in the Elizabethan literary scene and a friend and patron to writers like Spenser. Spenser greatly admired Sidney, and the dedication of The Shepherd's Calender to him was a public acknowledgment of this respect and potentially a bid for patronage or recognition within Sidney's influential circle.

Edmund Spenser and Sir Philip Sidney Connection

The dedication to Sir Philip Sidney is well-documented in literary history. Sidney was not only a fellow poet but also known for his critical work The Defence of Poesie. Dedicating a significant new work like The Shepherd's Calender to him underlined its literary aspirations and sought association with a respected figure.

Examining The Shepherd's Calender and its Dedication

The dedicatory epistle included in The Shepherd's Calender explicitly names Sir Philip Sidney as the person to whom the work is inscribed. This makes Sidney the correct answer.

Consider the options again:

Based on historical and literary evidence, the dedication of The Shepherd's Calender was indeed to Sir Philip Sidney.

Revision Table: Key Spenser Works and Dedications

Additional Information on Spenser's The Shepherd's Calender

The Shepherd's Calender is notable for several reasons:

• Form: It revived the pastoral genre in English poetry, following classical models like Virgil and Theocritus.
• Language: Spenser employed archaic language and dialect, which he called his "inkhorn terms," to create a rustic and historical feel, though this drew criticism from some contemporaries.
• Structure: The twelve eclogues correspond to the months, exploring themes related to each part of the year.
• Significance: It established Spenser as a major new voice in English poetry and paved the way for his later epic, The Faerie Queene. The dedication to Sidney highlighted the importance of patronage and literary networks in the Elizabethan era.