THE SHADOW TEXT
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he Shadow Text is intended as no more than a lowly companion tothe original. It makes no attempt to preserve metre or rhyme,but renders a prosaic version, unifying the spelling in order tomake the meaning easier to understand. I have altered the punctuation for the shadow version, though notwithout trepidation. My aim has been to make crystal clear themechanical sense expressed by each stanza, but quite often thisis impossible. For one thing, the original pointing, rather thanbeing used strictly logically, may also influence the rhythm oremphasis of the words when spoken (and _The Faerie Queene_ is apoem which should be read aloud--although perhaps not in itsentirety!--to be fully appreciated). For another, thefunctions of the punctuation marks themselves have undergonechange since Spenser's day. The semicolon, for example, is foundin _FQ_ introducing direct speech, where today a comma or a colonwould be used. Again, the comma is often required to carry longparentheses, themselves sprinkled with commas; these passages canbecome very confusing, especially where Spenser has also adopteda contorted and latinistic word-order. Then there are problems introduced by deliberately ambiguouspointing. Spenser's immense command of the language, and hisquicksilver gift for wordplay and puns, allow him, when hechooses, to pack great complexities of meaning into a line oreven a single word, and in this his punctuation is frequently hisaccomplice. A famous example comes right at the beginning of Book I: But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,And dead as liuing euer him ador'd: Is the meaning of line 4: "dead, as living, ever him adored", or:"dead, as living ever, him adored"? In fact, both meanings areprobably intended. Thus it cannot be overemphasized that, where ambiguity isoccasioned by the punctuation of the original, the Shadow Textcan do no more than propose what seems to me the more or mostlikely interpretation. Sometimes (as in the case cited above) Isuggest alternatives, but the pointing of the original poemshould always be given precedence in case of doubt. The Glossary does not seek to interpret the poem. From time totime it hints at what lies behind the bare words in order to aidunderstanding, but its sole purpose is to make the _language_more accessible to the modern reader. Interpretation is left tothe teacher, and to the large and growing body of criticismdevoted to _The Faerie Queene_.
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