Philip Sidney Defends Poetry in His Essay

Philip Sidney defends poetry in his essay Apology for Poetry
from the accusations made by Stephen Gosson in his School of

Abuse dedicated to him.
Following Minturno, Sidney says that poetry is the first lightgiver to ignorance, before any other art or science. The first
philosophers and Historians were poets; and such supreme
works as the Psalms of David and the Dialogues of Plato are in
reality poetical. Among the Greeks and the Romans, the poet
was regarded as a sage or prophet; and no nation, however
primitive or barbarous, has been without poets, or has failed to
receive delight and instruction from poetry.
Poetry, according to Sidney, is an art of imitation, a
representation, a counterfeit, a speaking picture, with end to
teach and delight. The object of all arts and sciences is to lift
human life to the highest altitudes of perfection; and in this
respect they are all servants of poetry which is their medium of
instruction. The end of poetry is virtuous action and not
knowledge only. Virtuous action is, therefore, the end of
learning; and Sidney sets out to prove that the poet, more than
anyone else, fulfils this end.
Sidney says that poetry is superior to philosophy and history. In
the promotion of virtue, both philosophy and history play their
parts. Philosophy deals with its theoretical aspects and teaches
virtue by precepts. History teaches practical virtue by drawing
concrete examples from life. But poetry gives both practical
and precepts examples. Philosophy, being based on
abstractions, is heard of utterance and mystery to be
conceived. It cannot be a proper guide for youth. On the other
hand, the historian is so tied to empirical facts that his example
has no necessary consequence. Poetry gives perfect pictures of
virtue which are far more effective than the mere definitions of
philosophy. It also gives imaginary examples which are more
instructive than the real examples of history. The reward of
virtue and the punishment of vice are more clearly shown in
poetry than in history. Poetry is superior to philosophy in the
sense that it has the power to move and to give incentive for
virtuous action. It presents moral lessons in a very attractive
manner.
Sidney uses Aristotles argument in the Poetics that poetry is

higher and more philosophical than history because history
simply relates what has happened while poetry dramatises
what may happen, what is possible according to the law of
probability or necessity. History thus deals with the particular,
and poetry with the universal. Events that have happened may
be due to accident or coincidence; they may be particular to a
specific situation and not be part of a clear cause-and-effect
chain. Therefore they have little relevance for others. Poetry,
however, is rooted in the fundamental order of the universe; it
creates a cause-and-effect chain that clearly reveals what may
happen at any time or place because that is the way the world
operates. Poetry makes even the repellent appealing as
Aristotle said in the Poetics that the things which in themselves
are horrible as cruel battles and monsters are made delightful
in poetic imitation.
Sidney says that all arts have the works of nature as their
principal objects of imitation, and follow nature as actors follow
the lines of their play. Only the poet is not tied to such subjects,
but creates another nature better than nature herself. For going
hand in hand with nature, and not being enclosed within her
limits; only through his imagination, he creates a golden world
in place of Nature's brazen; and in this sense he may be
compared with God, as a Creator. Where shall you find in life,
asks Sidney, such a friend as Pylades, such a hero as Orlando,
such an excellent man as Aeneas?
Furthermore, he defends poetry vigorously against the puritans'
charges, and says that it is not the mother of lies; it is the
oldest of all branches of learning and removes ignorance. It
delights as teaches. Poetry does not misuse and debase the
mind of man by turning it to wantonness and by making it
unmanly and effeminate: it is man's wit that abuses poetry, and
poetry that abuses man's wit; and as to making men
effeminate, this charge applies to all other sciences more than
to poetry, which in its description of battles and praises of
valiant men stirs courage and enthusiasm. Lastly, it is pointed
out by the enemies of poetry that Plato, one of the greatest of
philosophers, banished poets from his ideal commonwealth. But
Plato's Dialogues is in reality themselves a form of poetry.
Poet is therefore the monarch of all knowledge. For he does

not only show the way but gives so sweet a prospect into the
way as will entice any man to enter into it.

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Philip Sidney defends poetry in his essay Apology for Poetry

from the accusations made by Stephen Gosson in his School of

Sidney uses Aristotles argument in the Poetics that poetry is

Poet is therefore the monarch of all knowledge. For he does

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