Sir Philip Sidney - "An Apology for Poetry"

 

Introduction

Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586) remains a cornerstone of Renaissance literary theory. His An Apology for Poetry (1595) is a seminal defense of literature against Puritan attacks, repositioning poetry as a vehicle for moral and intellectual enlightenment. This newsletter unpacks Sidney’s arguments, biography, and legacy, with detailed explanations of technical terms to aid scholarly comprehension.

Biography

Sidney’s life epitomized the Renaissance ideal of the "courtier-poet":

• Born: November 30, 1554, in Penshurst, England, to a noble family.
• Education: Studied at Shrewsbury School and Christ Church, Oxford. Traveled Europe (1572–1575), mastering languages (Latin, French, Italian) and absorbing humanist thought.
• Political Career: Served as courtier, diplomat, and Governor of Flushing (1585). Knighted in 1583.
• Literary Circle: Associated with Edmund Spenser and Fulke Greville. Penned Astrophel and Stella (sonnets), Arcadia (prose romance), and The Lady of May (pastoral play).
• Death: Died at 31 from battle wounds at Zutphen (1586), buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Key Term: Renaissance Humanism

A cultural movement reviving classical learning, emphasizing rhetoric, ethics, and the potential of human intellect. Sidney’s European travels immersed him in this tradition.

Major Works

Sidney’s influential texts, published posthumously:

1. Arcadia (1590): A prose romance blending pastoral idealism with political drama.
2. Astrophel and Stella (1591): A sonnet sequence inspired by Penelope Devereux ("Stella").
3. An Apology for Poetry (1595): A rebuttal to Stephen Gosson’s School of Abuse (1579), which condemned poetry as immoral.

Textual Analysis

An Apology adopts a classical oration structure:

1. Exordium: Introduction using humor (anecdote about horsemanship) to engage readers.
2. Narration: States poetry’s purpose—to "teach and delight."
3. Propositio: Thesis classifying poets into three types (see below).
4. Confirmatio: Evidence proving poetry’s superiority over history/philosophy.
5. Refutatio: Counters anti-poetry arguments (e.g., "poetry is lies").
6. Digressio: Critiques contemporary English poetry’s decline.
7. Peroratio: Concludes with a curse on poetry’s detractors.

Key Term: Classical Oration

A rhetorical framework from ancient Greece/Rome, dividing arguments into sections for logical persuasion. Sidney mirrors Cicero’s style.

The Poet and Poetry

Sidney synthesizes Plato and Aristotle to redefine poetry:

• Mimesis (Imitation):

1. Aristotle: Art mimics nature.
2. Sidney: Poetry is "a speaking picture" that improves nature by creating an ideal "golden world."

• Fore-Conceit:

1. The poet’s mental blueprint of an ideal form (e.g., justice) before crafting it into art.

• Divine Creativity:

1. Poets emulate God by generating "another nature," bridging reality and idealism.

Key Term: Mimesis

Greek for "imitation." Sidney expands it beyond copying reality to envisioning moral ideals (e.g., a perfect ruler).

Poetry vs. History and Philosophy

Sidney’s hierarchy of knowledge:

Discipline Limitations Poetry’s Superiority History Trapped in facts; cannot generalize. Combines examples (history) with precepts (philosophy).

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Philosophy Abstract; fails to inspire action. "Shows" virtue through characters (e.g., Cyrus in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia).

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Key Term: Gnosis vs. Praxis

Gnosis: Theoretical knowledge. Praxis: Actionable wisdom. Poetry turns gnosis into praxis by motivating virtue.

Kinds of Poetry

Sidney categorizes "right poets" by genre, ranked ethically:

1. Epic/Heroic Poetry (Highest form):

• Presents magnanimity through heroic figures (Achilles, Aeneas).
• Example: Virgil’s Aeneid teaches duty to Rome.

2. Pastoral:

• Uses rural settings to critique tyranny.
• Example: Virgil’s Eclogues contrast fortune and misfortune.

3. Elegiac:

• Evokes pity for human suffering.
• Example: Heraclitus’ laments.

4. Iambic:

• Attacks vice directly (e.g., political corruption).

5. Satire:

• Ridicules folly (e.g., greed).

6. Comedy:

• Laughs at "common errors" (e.g., flattery) to provoke self-correction.

7. Tragedy:

• Exposes moral ambiguity; stirs "admiration and commiseration."
• Example: Euripides’ Troades moved tyrant Alexander Pheraeus to tears.

8. Lyric:

• Praises virtue and nationalism.
• Example: Ballad Chevy Chase inspires courage.

Key Term: Catharsis

Aristotle’s theory that tragedy purges emotions (pity/fear). Sidney stresses tragedy’s power to warn rulers.

Decline of Poetry in Sidney’s Age

Sidney laments England’s poetic decay, blaming:

1. Lack of inspiration.
2. Ignorance of classical models.
3. Neglect of practice ("Poets are made, not born").
4. Violations of Dramatic Unities:

• Time: Plot ≤ 24 hours.
• Place: Single location.
• Action: No subplots.
• Example: Criticizes Gorboduc for ignoring unities.

Ethical Effects of Poetry

Poetry uniquely:

1. Purifies wit (sharpens intellect).
2. Enriches memory (stores moral exemplars).
3. Enables judgment (applies ideals to real life).
4. Enlarges conceit (expands imaginative capacity).

Sidney as Classicist and Romanticist

• Classicist:

Quotes Aristotle, Cicero; demands adherence to unities/meter.

• Romanticist:

Hails poets as "divinely inspired" creators of ideal worlds.

Key Term: Neo-Classicism

A later movement (17th–18th c.) codifying Sidney’s ideas (e.g., Boileau’s Art of Poetry).

Influence and Originality

• Pioneered English criticism: First systematic defense of poetry.
• Legacy: Shaped Dryden, Johnson, Romantics (Wordsworth/Coleridge).
• Innovation: Merged theory with practical analysis of contemporary works.

Conclusion

Sidney ends An Apology as he began—with wit, blessing poetry’s advocates and cursing detractors: Those who scorn verse "never get favor" and die without epitaphs. His fusion of idealism and pragmatism cemented poetry’s role as civilization’s moral compass.

"Poetry is an art of imitation [...] with this end, to teach and delight." — Sidney, An Apology for Poetry