In a fresh fountaine, farre from all mens vew, Book Three, Canto 6, Stanza 6 contains the lines that sparked the famous rhyme. In 1590, Spenser wrote the epic poem, The Faerie Queene, which spanned across a total of 7 books. This classic line has existed for centuries, dating back to its creation by poet Sir Edmund Spenser in the 16th century. Roses are red, violets are blue, this article has some jokes for you! Everyone loves to spin jokes out of the classic nursery rhyme, “roses are red, violets are blue,” but do they know its history? History of “Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue”