Time:
* The poem mentions "the King" being the one who commands Spens to sail, so we can assume it's set during a time when Scotland was ruled by a monarch.
* The poem also mentions "Noroway", which suggests a period before the union of the crowns of England and Scotland.
* Some scholars suggest a date around the 14th century, based on language and historical events.
Place:
* The poem states that Spens sets sail from "the north countrie", which could be either Scotland or Norway.
* The final verse mentions a "stormy sea", suggesting a journey across the open ocean.
* Some believe the location of the wreck was somewhere near the Shetland Islands, while others suggest it was off the coast of Norway.
Overall, the poem's setting is vague, likely because it was intended as a ballad, not a historical account. The focus is on the tragic events and the sorrowful tone, not precise geographical detail.
Here's a summary of the setting:
* Time: Likely around the 14th century, during the reign of a Scottish monarch.
* Place: A journey from "the north countrie" (either Scotland or Norway) across a stormy sea, possibly ending near the Shetland Islands or the coast of Norway.