A prothalamion is a formal lyric poem celebrating an impending marriage, distinct from an epithalamion which celebrates the wedding night or ceremony itself; coined by Edmund Spenser in his 1596 poem “Prothalamion” written for the daughters of the Earl of Worcester, the form typically features pastoral imagery, mythological allusions, and ceremonial structure, blending personal tribute with public festivity, and often employs refrains, riverine symbolism, and invocations of divine blessing to convey auspiciousness and communal joy surrounding the nuptial union.

Prothalamion: A poem celebrating an upcoming marriage (as opposed to an epithalamion for the wedding day); coined by Spenser; typically lyrical and auspicious in tone.