Edmund Spenser's ‘‘The Shepheardes Calendar’’ (1579) consists of a series of poems that extol the pastoral tradition and the idealized simplicity of rural life.

John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) narrates the story of humanity's Fall in the Garden of Eden. Milton drew considerable inspiration from The Faerie Queene.

Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (1485) recounts the tale of King Arthur. Spenser incorporates numerous Arthurian legends within The Faerie Queene.

Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poesy (1579) contends that poetry plays a crucial role in educating people and argues that poetry surpasses both philosophy and history in teaching virtue.

Virgil's The Aeneid (30-11 B.C.) is a Roman epic that significantly influenced Spenser's work. The narrative of Aeneas and his journey lays the foundation for Roman history, with Aeneas' heroic deeds serving as an exemplar for men to emulate.

The Cambridge Cultural History: 16th Century Britain (1992), edited by Boris Ford, offers a comprehensive overview of sixteenth-century life, covering aspects such as cultural and social life, architecture, literature, music, art, and Renaissance gardens.