Patterning his literary career after that of Vergil, Spenser first published 12 pastoral eclogues of The Shepheardes Calender(1579), which treat the shepherd as rustic priest and poet.

斯宾塞以维吉尔为蓝本，首出版了 The Shepheardes Calenders（1579 年） 12 篇田园诗集，将牧羊人视为牧师和诗人。