"Gan" functions as the archaic past tense of "gin" (begin) and as an auxiliary verb meaning "did," appearing extensively in medieval and Renaissance poetry. Spenser particularly favored constructions like "he gan to speak" (he began to speak) or "she gan weep" (she did weep) for their archaic flavor and metrical convenience. The word's brevity made it valuable for fitting metrical patterns while creating pseudo-medieval atmosphere. Its use as an auxiliary allowed poets to form past tenses while maintaining archaic dignity—"gan say" instead of "said" elevated ordinary speech. Chaucer and medieval poets used it naturally; later poets employed it deliberately for antiquarian effect. The term exemplifies how archaic auxiliary verbs enriched poetic vocabulary, offering alternatives to contemporary usage that served both metrical and atmospheric needs, allowing poets to manipulate rhythm while evoking earlier literary traditions and linguistic periods.

Gan appears throughout medieval and Renaissance poetry as auxiliary verb, particularly in Chaucer and Spenser, meaning "did" or "began." The construction "gan + infinitive" (e.g., "he gan to weep" = "he began to weep" or "he wept") was standard in Middle English narrative. Spenser deliberately revived it for archaic effect. Related to "begin" etymologically. Essential for analyzing Middle English verb structures, deliberate archaism in later poetry, and narrative past tense constructions. The term's flexibility (either "began to" or simple past) creates ambiguity for modern readers. Useful for discussing how archaic auxiliary verbs differ from modern forms, Spenser's linguistic nationalism through archaic diction, and metrical convenience of monosyllabic auxiliaries in verse. Its obsolescence makes it strong marker of deliberately medievalizing style.