epithalamium

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epithalamium

epithalamium , song or poem written to celebrate a marriage. An elaborate form of pastoral , the epithalamium usually tells of the happenings of the wedding day. Nymphs, shepherds, and appropriate mythological figures are present to share the poet's joy. Epithalamiums were written in ancient times by Pindar, Sappho, and Catullus. The biblical Song of Solomon is a classic of the genre as is Edmund Spenser's "Epithalamium" (1595), written to celebrate his own marriage.

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epithalamium

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature 2003, originally published by Oxford University Press 2003. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

epithalamium, or epithalamion, a poem or song written to celebrate a marriage. The form flourished in the Renaissance. Spenser's Epithalamion is a notable example.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "epithalamium." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "epithalamium." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (November 11, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-epithalamium.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "epithalamium." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved November 11, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-epithalamium.html

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	Epithalamium.(Poem) Magazine article from: New Criterion; 4/1/2000
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