Title: Historical Writing in The Faerie Queene and the Construction of English National Identity

Abstract: The Faerie Queene, written by Edmund Spenser, represents history of England and constructs the historical, geographical, and religious identity of the English nation through three forms of historical writing: chronicle, chorography, and epic prophecy, making it the national epic of England. The historical writing in The Faerie Queene not only reflects interactions between history and poetry, which provides medium for the construction of English national identity in this epic, but also affirms the key role of historical and cultural memory in strengthening national identity and in highlighting the unique Englishness embedded in the English national identity.

Keywords: The Faerie Queene, historical writing, English national identity, construction, Edmund Spenser

Author: Long Guo, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Lingying Wu, Professor, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.