Sir Philip Sidney

 Examine in detail detail the main ideas ideas in Sidney's Sidney's 'An Apology Apology for Poetry' Poetry' and comment on its significance.

 An Apologie for Poetrie ma may y fo forr pu purp rpos oses es of co conv nven enie ienc ncee be di divi vide ded d in into to sixteen sections. 1. The Prologue

Before launching a defence of poetry, Sidney justified his stand by referring in a half-humorous manner to a treatise on horseman-ship by pietro Pugliano. If the art of horsemanship can deserve such an eloquent euology and vindication, surely  poetry has better claims for euology and vindication. here is a just cause to plead a case for poetry since it has fallen from the highest estimation of learning to be !the laughing stoc" of children.! 2. Some Special Arguments in Favour of Poetry

Poetry has been held in high esteem since the earliest times. It has been 'the  first light-giver to ignorance.' he earlier #ree" philosophers and historians $ere, in fact, poets. %ven among the uncivili&ed nations, in ur"ey, ur"ey, among the 'merican Indians, and m (ales, (ales, poetry enjoys an undiminishing popularity. popularity. o attac" poetry is, therefore, to cut at the roots of culture and intelligence. 3. The Prophetic Character of Poetry

he ancient )omans paid high reverence to the poet by calling him Vates, $hich means a *iviner, a Prophet, or a +oreseer. he etymological origin of #ree" $ord !poet! is  Poiein, and this means !to ma"e!. ence the #ree"s honour the poet as a ma"er or creator. his his suggests the divine nature of poetry. 4. The Nature an Function of Poetry

Poetry is an art of imitation! and its chief function is to teach and delight. Imitation does not mean mere copying or a reproduction of facts. It means a repr re pres esen enti ting ng or tr tran ansm smut utin ing g of th thee re real al an and d ac actu tual al,, an and d so some meti time mess cr crea eati ting ng something entirely ne$. he poet, so Sidney declares, lifted up$ith the vigour of  his o$n invention, doth gro$ in effect another nature, in ma"ing things either   better than /ature bringeth forth, or, quite a ne$, forms such as never $ere in  /ature, as the eroes, *emigods, *emigods, 0yclops, 0himeras, +uries, and and such li"e. 0ommenting on the creative  po$ers of the the poet,  poet, Sidney further states1 /ature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers poets have done, neither $ith

 pleasant rivers, fruitful trees, s$eet smelling flo$ers, nor $hatsoever else may ma"e the too much loved earth more lovely. er $orld is bra&en, the poets only deliver a golden. !. The Three "ins of Poetry

he three "inds of poetry, according to Sidney, are 1 2a3 religious poetry, 2b3  philosophical poetry, and 2c3 poetry as an imaginative treatment of life and nature. e calls special attention to the third class of poets, for !these be they that, as the first and most noble sort may justly be termed vates.' hey !most properly do imitate to teach and delight, and to imitate borro$ nothing of $hat is, has been, or  shall be, but range, only $ith learned discretion, into the divine consideration of  $hat may be, and should be.! #. $arious Su%&ivisions of the Thir "in of Poetry

Poetry proper may further be divided into various species4the heroic, lyric, tragic, comic, satiric, iambic, elegiac, pastoral and others. Poets generally ma"e use of verse to apparel their poetical inventions. But verse is !an ornament and no cause to poetry since there have been many most excellent poets that never versified, and no$ s$arm many versifiers that need never ans$er to the name of poets.! '. Superiority of Poetry to Philosophy an (istory

In the promotion of virtue, both philosophy and history play their parts. Philosophy deals$ith its theoretical aspects and teaches virtue by precept. istory teaches practical virtue by dra$ing concrete examples from life. But poetry gives  both precepts and practical examples. Philosophy, being based on abstractions, is !hard of utterance and mystery to be conceived.! It cannot be a proper guide for  youth. 5n the other hand, the historian is tied to empirical facts that his example drags no necessary consequence. Poetry gives perfect pictures of virtue $hich are far more effective than the mere definitions of philosophy. It also gives imaginary examples $hich are more instructive than the real examples of history. he re$ard of virtue and the punishment of vice is more clearly sho$n in Poetry than in istory. Poetry is superior to Philosophy in the sense that it has the po$er to move and to give incentive for virtuous action. It presents moral lessons in a very attractive form. hings $hich in themselves are horrible as cruel battles, unnatural monsters, are made delightful in poetic imitation. Poet is, therefore, the monarch of  all sciences. !+or he doth not only sho$ the $ay but giveth so s$eet a pr ospect into the $ay, as $ill entice any man to enter into it.! he poet does not begin $ith obscure definitions $hich load the memory $ith doubtfulness, !but he cometh to you $ith $ords set in delightful proportion, either accompanied $ith, or prepared for, the $ell enchanting s"ill of music6 and $ith a tale forsooth he cometh unto you, $ith a tale $hich holdeth children from play, and old men from

the chimney corner. 'nd pretending no more, doth intend the $inning of the mind from $ic"edness to virtue. ). $arious Species of Poetry

he pastoral poetry treats of the beauty of the simple life, and sometimes, of  the miseries of the people under hard 7ords. (hy should it be disli"ed8 %legiac  poetry deals $ith the $ea"ness of man"ind and $retchedness of the $orld. It should evo"e pity rather than blame. Satiric poetry laughs at folly, and iambic  poetry tries to unmas" villainy. hese also do not deserve to be condemned.  /obody should blame the right use of comedy. 0omedy is an imitation of  the commonerrors of our life presented in a ridiculous manner. It helps men "eeping a$ay from such errors. ragedy, $hich opens the greatest $ounds in our  hearts, teaches the uncertainty of this $orld. /o body can resist the !s$eet violence! of a tragedy. he lyric $hich gives moral precepts and soars to the heavens in singing the  praises of the 'lmighty, cannot be displeasing. /or can the epic or heroic poetry be disli"ed because it inculcates virtue to the highest degree by portraying heroic and moral goodness in the most effective manner. Sidney asserts that the heroical is !not only a "ind, but the best and most accomplished "ind of poetry.! *. +ain ,%-ections rought Against Poetry %y its /nemies

' common complaint against poetry is that it is bound up $ith !rhyming and versing!. But verse is not essential for poetry. !5ne may be a poet $ithout versing, and a versifier $ithout poetry! 9erse is used for convenience. It produces verbal harmony and lends itself easily to memori&ing. It is the only fit speech for music. It adds to $ords a sensuous and emotional quality. 10. Four Chief ,%-ections to Poetry

here are some more serious objections to poetry, namely 1 2a3

that there being many other more fruitful "no$ledges, a man might better  spend his time in them than in this6

2b3

that it is the mother of lies 1

2c3

that it is the nurse of abuse, infecting us $ith many pestilent desires6 and,

2d3

that Plato had banished poets from his ideal republic. 11. eplies to These ,%-ections

Sidney dismisses the first charge by saying that he has already established that !no learning is so good as that $hich reacheth and moveth to virtue, and that none can both teach and move thereto so much as poetry.!

is ans$er to the second objection that poets are liars is that of all $riters under the sun the poet is the least liar. he 'stronomer, the #eometrician, the historian, and others, all ma"e false statements. But the poet !nothing affirms, and therefore never lieth,! his aim being !to tell not $hat is or is not, but $hat should or  should not be.! So $hat he presents is not fact but fiction embodying truth of an ideal "ind. he third charge against poetry is that all its species are infected $ith love themes and amorous conceits, $hich have a demoralising effect on readers. o this charge Sidney replies that poetry does not abuse man!s $it, it is man!s $it that abuseth poetry. 'll arts and sciences misused bad evil effects, but that did not mean that they $ere less valuable $hen rightly employed. Shall the abuse of a thing ma"e the right use odious8 0ertainly not. Sidney is rather perplexed at the last charge, namely Plato!s rejection of poetry. e $onders $hy Plato found fault $ith poetry. In fact, Plato $arned men not against poetry but against its abuse by his contemporary poets $ho filled the $orld $ith $rong opinions about the gods. So Plato!s objection $as directed against the theological concepts. In Ion, Plato gives high and rightly divine commendation to  poetry. is description of the poet as !a light $inged and sacred thing! in that dialogue reveals his attitude to poetry. In fact by attributing unto poetry a very inspiring of a divine force, Plato $as ma"ing a claim for poetry $hich he for his  part could not endorse. /ot only Plato but, Sidney tells us, all great men have honoured poetry.

12. hy is Poetry not honoure in /nglan as it is elsehere

(hy has %ngland gro$n so hard a step-mother to Poets8 as"s Sidney. e thin"s that it is so because poetry has came to be represented by !base men $ith servile $its! or to men $ho, ho$ever studious, are not born poets. e says that !a  poet no industry can ma"e, if his o$n genius be not carried unto it!. 'nother cause is the $ant of serious cultivation of the Poetic 'rt. hreeihings necessary for   producing good poetry are 'rt, Imitation, and %xercise $hich are lac"ing in the  present generation of poets. 13. A rief evie of the State of Poetry in /nglan from Chaucer to Siney5s on Time

Sidney says that fe$ good poems have been produced in %ngland since 0haucer. 0haucer did marvellously $ell in Troilus and Cresseida. The Mirrour of   Magistrates also contains some beautiful passages. %arl of Surrey!s  Lyrics also deserve praise. Spenser!s The hepherds Calender is $orth reading. %nglish lyric

 poetry is scanty and poor. 7ove lyrics and sonnets lac" genuine fire and passion. hey ma"e use of artificial diction and s$elling phrases. 14. Conition of 6rama

he state of drama is also degraded. he only redeeming tragedy is !or"oduc $hich itself is a faulty $or". ' tragedy should be tied to the la$s of   poetry and not of history. ' dramatist should have liberty to frame the history to his o$n tragical convenience. 'gain many things should be told $hich cannot be sho$n on the stage. he dramatists should "no$ the difference bet$een reporting and representing. hey should straight$ay plunge into the principal point of action $hich they $ant to represent in their play. here should be no mingling of  tragedies and comedies, %nglish comedy is based on a false hypothesis. It aims at laughter, not delight. he proper aim of comedy is to afford delightful teaching, not mere coarse amusement. 0omedy should not only amuse but morally instruct. 1!. Avantages of the /nglish 7anguage

he %nglish language has some definite advantages. It is appreciable for its adaptability to ancient and modern systems of versification. It admits both the unrhymed quantitative system of the ancient poetry and the rhyme peculiar to modern language. 1#. Summary

Poetry is full of virtue-breeding delightfulness. It is void of no gift that ought to  be in the noble name of learning. 'll the charges laid against it are false and  baseless. he poets $ere the ancient treasurers of the #recian divinity6 they $ere the first bringers of all civility. here are many mysteries contained poetry. ' poet can immortali&e people in his verses.