Defence of Poesy by Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney’s The Defence of Poesy, or An Apology for Poetry, is a work of literary criticism defending poetry against its detractors and justifying poetry as a literary form. It was written around 1579 or 1580 but was not published until 1595, after Sidney’s death. Sidney was a notable Elizabethan poet, scholar, courtier, and soldier, who died young at the age of thirty-one. His significant literary works include the sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stellaand the romance The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia. The Defence of Poesy is, in part, a response to Stephen Gosson’s book, The School of Abuse, published in 1579. Gosson attacks actors, playwrights, and poets, claiming it is immoral to write works of fiction. Shortly afterward, Sidney crafted his defense, which became one of literature’s first arguments in favor of creating fiction.

First, Sidney outlines the historical significance of poetry. He points out that the great scientists of Western civilization have been primarily Roman and Greek, and that both those cultures saw value and merit in poetry. Sidney moves from poetry’s history to a discussion of how poetry should be defined. He brings up Aristotle’s word to describe poetry, mimesis, which translates to something like “counterfeit” or “imitation.” Sidney argues that although it’s possible to describe poetry as an imitation of something else, poetry is not limited to descriptions of the real world, and its success is not measured by how well it represents reality.Sidney begins to classify the various types of poetry: heroic, lyric, tragic, comedic, satiric, iambic, elegiac, and pastoral. He discusses the importance of verse in poetry, saying that it is not an essential element: great poets such as Heliodorus sometimes wrote in prose rather than verse. next section, Sidney compares poetry to philosophy and history. Sidney continues, saying that poets combine the best traits of both philosophers and historians. He criticizes historians, saying they are trapped in the past and rely on the testimonies of others.

Next, Sidney addresses arguments against poetry. He says poets cannot be classified as liars if they are not attempting to tell the truth. Poetry is not intended as a historical record; it is not meant to be accurate but to convey emotion and feeling, a sense rather than an accurate set of facts.Sidney concludes by summarizing his main points again. Poetry is not and has never been intended to rival other forms of writing. It is not an attempt to lie or to replace God. Poetry speaks to concepts such as love, family, and mortality, but does not claim to be correct or objectively true in what it has to say. Rather, it is an art form that has existed for millennia and will continue to exist for many more.

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