The term SPENSER'S 'THE FAERIE QUEENE' is an epic poem written by the English poet Edmund Spenser in the late 16th century. It is an allegorical work that follows the adventures of a number of knights as they attempt to achieve chivalric virtues. The poem is divided into six books, each of which focuses on a different virtue. The title of the poem refers to Gloriana, the Faerie Queene, who is a symbol of Queen Elizabeth I.