Types of Webs: Blog #3

In Spenser’s Amoretti, the speaker’s relationship with his “Damzell” is likened to the bond shared between Odysseus and Penelope. However, while the relationships are similar in the sense that both involve weaving and unraveling, (creating a cyclical pattern of Sisyphus-like uselessness) there are distinct differences in the reasoning behind the dismantling, for while Penelope unravels her web to keep suitors away and preserve her love for Odysseus, the subject of Spenser’s poem is condemned to a much more depressing state, building a web only to have it broken down by his lover. Spenser’s subject spends “years” building his web of love, but his lover has the power to break down and dismantle this web with just “one looke” or “one word.” This is an important difference from Penelope’s weaving, for she is deliberate and patient as she unravels her weaving, hoping to stall for long enough to allow her husband to come home. She weaves without material purpose, never hoping to actually create a beautiful end product.

It is always Penelope’s purpose to weave endlessly, and she is content to stay in a certain state of limbo until Odysseus returns. The man is Spencer’s poem is also stuck in a similar static state, but not by his own choosing. He recognizes that he is engaged in “fruitlesse worke” but cannot escape the unrewarding cycle of his life. By the end of the poem, he has recognized that his work is easily shattered and broken. The subject of the poem seems to be expressing frustration over his inability to take control of his life and truly find love and meaning in life. He rushes to assemble a “web” but finds that people, and life, can often seem useless, cyclical, and ultimately “fruitlesse.” Penelope has Odysseus to look forward to, but Spenser’s subject is condemned to a much more sad, unfortunate, and realistic existence.