WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Poetry Fix: Legend of the Knight of the Red Cross

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

Today, we continue our journey through Spencer's Faerie Queene. Erika Kyba discusses some of Spencer's typical conventions, such as introducing characters by their appearances and actions, allowing the reader to judge their behavior before the poet names them.

Welcome to the Poetry Fix on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm your host, Erica Kaiba, bringing you your weekly fix of poetry from across time. Today we're diving straight into the legend of the night of the Red Cross. Spencer follows the convention of Inmedia Ceres, dropping us straight into the action as a knight travels across the plane. He doesn't tell us who this night is right away, and that's pretty typical of Spencer. He'll describe a character for you and then let them do their thing for a few. stanzas before telling you their name and revealing whether they're good or evil. Often their conduct will speak for itself before Spencer glosses them. So what can we say about our gentle knight?

The first thing that Spencer tells us is that he's clad in mighty arms that have seen many battles, but that the knight himself actually hasn't fought before. He's having quite a bit of trouble getting his horse to behave and stick to the path, and his horse's boisterousness is going to foreshadow how the knight himself behaves in the subsequent adventure of this first canto. Despite this warning sign, though, Spencer reveals that the knight is devoted to Christ, bearing a red cross on his chest and his shield. And would you look at that? We've met our main character, the titular Knight of the Red Cross. Our other main character in this adventure, Una, rides beside him, though we don't know her name yet. All we learn is that she's lovely of

appearance, and that she rides on a lowly white horse, suggesting both purity and humility. She also wears a black veil, suggesting that she is mourning something. Both she and Red Cross are described as having a very solemn aspect in this introduction. We will have to find out whether Spencer sees this as fitting or troubling. With all that said, let's dive in. The Fairy Queen, the legend of the Knight of the Red Cross by Edmund Spencer, narrated by Sophia Kaiba. A gentle knight was pricking on the plain, a clad in mighty arms and silver shield, wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain the cruel marks of many a bloody field. Yet arms till that time did he never wield.

His angry steed did chide his foaming bit, as much disdaining to the curb to yield. Full jolly night he seemed, and fair did sit, as one for nightly jousts and fierce encounters fit. But on his breast a bloody cross he bore, The dear remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweet sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead as living ever him adored. Upon his shield the like was also scored,

For sovereign hope, which in his help he had, Right faithful true he was in deed and word, But of his cheer did seem too solemn sad, Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was a drad. Upon a great adventure he was bond, that greatest gloriana to him gave, that greatest glorious queen of Fairyland, to win him worship and her grace to have, which of all earthly things he most did crave. And ever as he rode, his heart did earn, to prove his puissance in battle brave, upon his foe and his new force to learn, upon his foe a dragon horrible and stern. A lovely lady rode him fair beside Upon a lowly ass more white than snow

Yet she much whiter But the same did hide under a veil That wimpled was full low And over all a black stole she did throw As one that inly mourned So was she sad And heavy sat upon her palfrey slow Seemed in heart some hidden care she had

And by her in a line A milk-white lamb she lad You've been listening to The Poetry Fix with Erica Kaiba. If you enjoyed this episode, consider following The Poetry Fix on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. And if you have any poems you want to see in a future episode, email your suggestions to the Poetry Fix at gmail.com. Join me next week and we'll be continuing our journey through the Fairy Queen.