Abiding in the Fields: Spenser, Milton, and the Pastoral Poetic Tradition (Webinar)

Description

Shepherds and their flocks have a special place in the literary tradition as singers and poets, appearing not only in the Biblical world but also in the classical world. The Roman poet Vergil, best known for his epic The Aeneid, first tried his hand at a genre called “pastoral poetry” before he turned his attention to writing epic. In Vergil’s poetic world, shepherds pipe their tunes and hold singing contests in an idyllic world of eternal summer. One of Vergil’s “Eclogues” has been historically termed the “Messianic Eclogue” because of its eerie similarity to the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. This genre of poetry would capture the imagination of countless European poets, including Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, and John Milton.

This webinar will explore the world of shepherds as it appears in the Nativity narrative in the Gospels and classical poetry, and trace its influence on works such as Edmund Spenser’s Shepherd’s Calendar and William Shakespeare’s pastoral plays such as As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and A Winter’s Tale.

There is no required reading for this webinar, but Dr. Phillips will offer suggested further reading during the session.

Instructor: Dr. Anne Phillips

Meet Times: December 29th, 2025 from 7:00-8:30 PM ET (1 session, approximately 90 minutes long); Lifetime access to recording will be available to students

Individual Price: $18 (Non-Refundable)

Family Price for 3 or more students: $50 (Non-Refundable)

How to access the class: One hour before the live event begins, customers will be given a link via email and also in the “My Courses” tab of their HHL accounts to watch the live webinar over Zoom. After the live webinar has concluded, the recording will be made available in the customer’s HHL account under “My Courses” the next day for lifetime access.