Question

Comparison between epithalamion and Prothalamion

Answer 1

Spencer's Epithalamion and Prothalamion both highlight the theme of marriage. However, the Epithalamion celebrates Spencer's own marriage to Elizabeth Boyle, while the Prothalamion is a nuptial song celebrating the respective marriages of Elizabeth and Katherine Somerset (the daughters of the Earl of Worcester) to Henry Gilford and William Peter.

Answer 2

The "Prothalamion" is a detached bridal poem, describing the double marriage between the daughters of the Earl of Worcester, while the "Epithalamion" is an account of the wedding ceremony of the poet's own wedding function from early hours of the day to the long waited night of his marriage

Explanation:

• The Epithalamion of Spencer and Prothalamion both stress the theme of matrimony. But the epithalamion celebrates Spencer's very own marriage to Elizabeth Boyle, while the prothalamion is the wedding (nuptial)song to Henry Gilford and William Peter, which celebrates the respective marriages of Elizabeth and Katherine
• On the day of their marriage the Epithalamion celebrates the arrangements of the bride and woman. The Epithalamion and Prothalamion emphasize the importance of nymphs for marriage arrangements. The nymphs fill the bride's way to the bridal bower with flowers at the epithalamion. Somerset.
• They safeguard the sacredness of the forest and lakes so that the bride has a perfect marriage day. Similarly, nymphs gather an abundance of flowers in Prothalamion to braid the bridal crowns of Katherine and Elizabeth. In both poems Spencer thoroughly utilizes pagan fertility images.
• Spencer explains the marriage ceremony in both works, however, in rather Christian terms. He would like Katherine and Elizabeth to enjoy marriage and to "settle fruitfully from the completion of their marriages in the Prothalamion. The Epithalamion goes still further by portraying the lady of the hour's physical attractions, and the tenth stanza's paean to the lady's excellence is reminiscent of the exotic sections from the Song of Solomon
• In the eleventh stanza of the Epithalamion Spencer commends his lady of the hour for her excellent inside: his "sweet love," "consistent pureness," "simple and beautiful femininity," and "sweet discretion." Here, he features the Christian meaning of unvarnished, inward magnificence.The Prothalamion then again wants to mix the sanctified with that which is normal in marriage. The Prothalamion then again tries to mix what is sanctified and what is normal in marriage. The rationality and whiteness of the twin swans is differentiated from the muddy waters of the stream by Spencer
• The Swans talk of the virginal immaculateness of Katherine and Elizabeth; even the "delicate sea" seems to have been incomprehensibly degenerated and commonplace in this light of women's perfection. Interestingly enough, Prothalamion does not focus on sexual desire, but the Epithalamion focuses on the spouse's longing for his lady of the hour
• As can be seen, the two ballads commend the topic of marriage; the Epithalamion features the individual idea of a conjugal association, while the Prothalamion likewise decides to address the social importance of a marriage association among the honorability