Apology for Poetry

APOLOGY FOR POETRY-SIR PHILIP SIDNEY Amon Among g the the Engl Englis ish h crit critic ics, s, Phil Philip ip Sin Sine! e! hol hols s " #er! #er! impo import rt"n "ntt pl"c pl"ce$ e$ His His Apolog! %or Poetr! is " spirite e%ence o% poetr! "g"inst "ll the ch"rges l"i "g"ins "g"instt it since since Pl"to Pl"to$$ He consi consier ers s poetr poetr! ! "s the olest olest o% "ll &r"nch &r"nches es o%  le"rning "n est"&lishes its s'periorit!$ Poetr!, "ccoring to Sine!, is s'perior to philosoph! &! its ch"rm, to histor! &! its 'ni#ers"lit!, to science &! its mor"l en, to l"( &! its enco'r"gement o%  h'm"n r"ther th"n ci#ic gooness$ Sine! e"ls (ith the 'se%'lness o% other %orm %orms s o% poet poetr! r! "lso "lso$$ )The )The p"st p"stor or"l "l ple" ple"se ses s &! its its help help%' %'ll comm commen ents ts on contempor"r! e#ents "n li%e in gener"l, the eleg! &! its *inl! pit! %or the (e"*ness o% m"n*in, the s"tire &! its ple"s"nt riic'le o% %oll!, the l!ric &! its s(eet pr"ise o% "ll th"t is pr"ise(orth!, "n the epic &! its represent"tion o% the lo%tiest tr'ths in the lo%tiest m"nner+$ Repl! to %o'r ch"rges Stephen Gosson in his School o% A&'se, le#ele %o'r ch"rges "g"inst poetr!$ The! (ere  )i+ A m"n co'l emplo! his time more 'se%'ll! th"n in poetr!, )ii+ It is the mother o% lies., )iii+ It is immor"l "n the n'rse o% "&'se. "n )i#+ Pl"to h" rightl! &"nishe poets %rom his ie"l common(e"lth$ common(e"lth$ Sine! g"ll"ntl! e%ens "ll these ch"rges in his Apolog! %or Poetr!.$ T"*ing the /rst /rst ch"rg ch"rge, e, he "rg'e "rg'es s th"t th"t poetr poetr! ! "lone "lone te"che te"ches s "n mo#es mo#es to #irt'e #irt'e "n there%ore " m"n c"nnot &etter spen his time th"n in it$ Reg"ring the secon ch"rge, he points o't th"t " poet h"s no concern (ith the 0'estion o% #er"cit! or %"lsehoo "n there%ore " poet c"n sc"rcel! &e " li"r$ He isposes o% the thir ch"rge s"!ing th"t it is " m"n.s (it th"t "&'ses poetr! "n not #ice #ers"$ To the %o'rth ch"rge, he s"!s th"t it is (itho't %o'n"tion &ec"'se Pl"to i not /n %"'lt (ith poetr! &'t onl! the poets o% his time (ho "&'se it$ His 1l"ssicism Sine! Sine!.s .s Apolog Apolog! ! is the /rst serio' serio's s "ttem "ttempt pt to "ppl! "ppl! the cl"ssi cl"ssic" c"ll r'les r'les to Englis English h poetr! poetr!$ He "mir "mires es the gre" gre"tt It"li" It"li"n n (r (rite iters rs o% Ren"iss en"iss"n "nce ce )D"nte )D"nte,, 2occ"ccio "n Petr"rch+$ All his prono'ncements h"#e their &"sis either on Pl"to or Aristotle or Hor"ce$ In his e/nition o% poetr! he %ollo(s &oth Aristotle "n Hor"ce  to te"ch "n elight.$ Sine! insists on the o&ser#"nce o% the 'nities o% time, pl"ce "n "ction in English r"m"$ He h"s no p"tience (ith the ne(l! e#elope tr"gi-come!$ )His (hole critic"l o'tloo* in the 'nities "n the tr"gi-come! ("s "3ecte &! the "&sence o% re"ll! goo English pl"!s till his time+$ He "lso pr"ises the 'nrh!me cl"ssic"l metre #erse$ Poetr! Poetr! "ccoring to him, is the "rt o% in#enting ne( things, &etter th"n this (orl h"s to o3er, "n e#en prose th"t oes so is poetr!$ Tho'gh he h"s "mir"tion %or the cl"ssic"l #erse he h"s his n"ti#e lo#e o% rh!me or #erse$ His lo#e o% the cl"ssics is 'ltim"tel! reconcile to his lo#e o% the n"ti#e tr"ition$

 The 4"l'e o% his 1riticism  Tho'gh Sine! pro%esses to %ollo( Aristotle, his conception o% poetr! is i3erent %rom Aristotle.s$ To Aristotle, poetr! ("s "n "rt o% imit"tion$ To Sine!, it is "n "rt o% imit"tion %or " speci/c p'rpose  it imit"tes to te"ch "n elight.$ )Those (ho pr"ctise it "re c"lle m"*ers "n prophets+$ Sine! "lso 'nconscio'sl! i3ers (ith Aristotle in the me"ning he gi#es to imit"tion$ Poetr! is not so m'ch "n "rt o% imit"tion "s o% in#ention or cre"tion$ )It cre"tes " ne( (orl "ltogether %or the ei/c"tion "n elight o% the re"er+$ This &rings him "g"in close Pl"to$ Accoring to him, the poet imit"tes not the &r"5en (orl o% N"t're &'t the golen (orl o% the Ie" itsel%$ So, Pl"to.s chie% o&6ection to poetr! is here "ns(ere in %'ll$ Sine! m"*es poetr! (h"t Pl"to (ishe it to &e 7 " #ision o% the ie" itsel% "n " %orce %or the per%ection o% the so'l$  888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888  An Apolog! %or Poetr! &! Sir Philip S!ne!   Philip Sine! in his 9Apolog! %or Poetr!9 re"cts "g"inst the "tt"c*s m"e on poetr! &! the p'rit"n, Stephen Gosson$ To, Sine!, poetr! is "n "rt o% imit"tion %or speci/c p'rpose, it is imit"te to te"ch "n elight$ Accoring to him, poetr! is simpl! " s'perior me"ns o% comm'nic"tion "n its #"l'e epens on (h"t is comm'nic"te$ So, e#en histor! (hen it is escri&e in " li#el! "n p"ssion"te e:pression &ecomes poetic$ He pre%ers im"gin"ti#e liter"t're th"t te"ches &etter th"n histor! "n philosoph!$ Liter"t're h"s the po(er to repro'ce "n ie"l golen (orl not 6'st the &r"5en (orl$ Stephen Gossen m"*es ch"rges on poetr! (hich Sine! "ns(ers$  The ch"rges "re ;$ Poetr! is the ("ste o% time$ rms th"t his /ction is tr'e "n c"n ne#er lie$ The poetic tr'ths "re ie"l "n 'ni#ers"l$ There%ore, poetr! c"nnot &e " mother o% lies$ Sine! re6ects th"t poetr! is the so'rce o% "&'ses$ To him, it is people (ho "&'ses poetr!, not the #ice- #ers"$ A&'ses "re more n'rse &! philosoph! "n histor! th"n &! poetr!, &! escri&ing &"ttles, &looshe, #iolence etc$ On the contr"r!, poetr! helps to m"int"in mor"lit! "n pe"ce &! "#oiing s'ch #iolence "n &looshes$ ?oreo#er it &rings light to *no(lege$ Sine! #ie(s th"t Pl"to in his Rep'&lic ("nte to &"nish the "&'se o% poetr! not the poets$ He himsel% ("s not %ree %rom poetic"lit!, (hich (e c"n /n in his i"log'es$ Pl"to ne#er s"!s th"t "ll poets sho'l &e &"nishe$ He c"lle %or &"nishing onl! those poets (ho "re in%erior "n 'n"&le to instr'ct the chilren$ For Sine!, "rt is the imit"tion o% n"t're &'t it is not sl"#ish imit"tion "s Pl"to #ie(s$ R"ther it is cre"ti#e imit"tion$ N"t're is 'll, incomplete "n 'gl!$ It is "rtists (ho t'rn 'll n"t're in to golen color$ He emplo!s his cre"ti#e %"c'lt!, im"gin"tion "n st!le o% present"tion to ecor"te the r"( m"teri"ls o% n"t're$ For Sine!, "rt is " spe"*ing pict're h"#ing sp"tiotempor"l imension$ For Aristotle h'm"n "ction is more import"nt &'t %or Sine! n"t're is import"nt$ Artists "re to cre"te "rts consiering the le#el o% re"ers$ The onl! p'rpose o% "rt is to te"ch "n elight li*e the (hole tenenc! o% Ren"iss"nce$ Sine! %"#ors poetic 6'stice th"t is possi&le in poet@s (orl (here goo "re re("re "n (ic*e people "re p'nishe$ Pl"to@ssss philosoph! on @ #irt'e@ is (orthless "t the &"ttle/el &'t poet te"ches men ho( to &eh"#e 'ner "ll circ'mst"nces$ ?or"l philosoph! te"ches #irt'es thro'gh "&str"ct e:"mples "n histor! te"ches #irt'es thro'gh concrete e:"mples &'t &oth "re e%ecti#e$ Poetr! te"ches #irt'e &! e:"mple "s (ell "s &! percept )&len o% "&str"ct  concrete+$ The poet cre"tes his o(n (orl (here he gi#es onl! the inspiring things "n th's poetr! hols its s'perior position to th"t o% philosoph! "n histor!$ In the poet@s golen (orl, heroes "re ie"ll! presente "n e#ils "re corr'pt$ Di"ctic e3ect o% " poem epens 'p on the poet@s po(er to mo#e$ It epens 'p on the "3ecti#e 0'"lit! o% poetr!$ Among the i3erent %orms o% poetr! li*e l!ric, eleg!, s"tire, come! etc$ epic is the &est %orm "s it portr"!s heroic ees "n inspires heroic ees "n inspires people to &ecome co'r"geo's "n p"triotic$ In this ("!, Sine! e/nes "ll the ch"rges "g"inst poetr! "n st"ns %or the s"*e o% 'ni#ers"l "n timeless 0'"lit! o% poetr! m"*ing 's *no( (h! the poets "re 'ni#ers"l geni's$