The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5

"The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5" by Edmund Spenser is a compilation of poems from the late 1500s. This collection explores big ideas like how short life is, how unimportant earthly things can be, and how art and memories can make things last forever. Filled with strong feelings, the poems often use symbols to talk about personal sadness and bigger problems in society. For example, "The Ruines of Time" begins with a sad woman crying over the ruined city of Verulamium, which represents the way time can destroy even powerful things. The narrator talks to her, and they think about how everything eventually fades away. Other poems, like "The Teares of the Muses," share this sad feeling, as the Muses grieve the loss of art and learning in a world full of foolishness.