Faerie Queene

The faerie Queene is a poetic allegory written by Edmund Spencer. It is dedicated to the "Virgin Queene"; the first Queen Elizabeth and is a supposed re-interpretation of the King Arthur Myth; a moral mythological account of Englands Royal history. This book is broken into 6 books that follows the adventures of Knights who encompass the Virtures of Holiness, Temerpence, Chastity, Friendship, Justice. They are dealt with in a very complecated story of queen's, Knights, witches, dragons and gods. Each virtue is looked at through both a Classical and Christian lens, which at times creates a strong contrast between the two accounts. Even though this is the one of the most difficult books I've read because of the language (Middle English - WORSE THEN OLD ENGLISH, ie, Cantabury Tales!)it does however deal with the Christian life, putting on the full armor of God, and how the contemplative life requires our action or faith and works. This type of writing was very popular in the days when Church and State held about the same about of power. Other great allegorical poems include: Dante's Divine comedy and Milton's Paradise Lost.

C.S. Lewis and the other members of the Inklings ( made popular again but the release of LOTR and Narnia) attempted to write the modern Christian allegory with such works as Narnia and Descent into Hell. In our new day an age where it's about the literal "facts", we have little time of poetry, which by its' nature forces the reader to figure out and reflect on what actually is being said or revealed.

Is there a poetic work that you have read that taught you something about your faith, even if it wasn't a "Christian" allegory?