Spenserian

[ spen-seer-ee-uhn ]

adjective

of or characteristic of Spenser or his work.

noun

an imitator of Spenser.
Spenserian stanza.

verse in Spenserian stanzas.

Origin of Spenserian

First recorded in 1810–20; Spenser + -ian

Words Nearby Spenserian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Spenserian in a sentence

In smooth and vigorous Spenserian stanzas, he protests against the neglect of the martyr-patriot's grave.
Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, Volume 2 (of 14), 1899 | Various
This is still far below the Spenserian stanza, and the colour is inferior to that of Giles.
A History of English Literature | George Saintsbury
Childe Harold and other important poems are composed in the Spenserian stanza.
A Handbook of the English Language | Robert Gordon Latham
This last is a beautiful translation in the Spenserian stanza, of which a second edition appeared in 1868, in two octavo volumes.
The Book-Hunter at Home | P. B. M. Allan
Mr. Lowell occasionally makes use of somewhat quaint, Spenserian expressions, but generally with peculiar effect.
The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, February 1844 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for Spenserian

Spenserian

/ (spɛnˈsɪərɪən) /

adjective

relating to, in the style of, or characteristic of Edmund Spenser, the English poet (?1552–99), or his poetry

noun

a student or imitator of Edmund Spenser

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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