Sir Philip Sidney Flashcards
Sir Philip Sidney lived in
Elizabethan period
works
The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia (1581)
Astrophel and Stella (1581–1582).
Sidney’s writing of the An Apologie for Poetry as a defense of poetry
Sidney’s writing of the Apologie as a defense of poetry was occasioned by an attack on poetry entitled The School of Abuse published in 1579 by a Puritan minister, Stephen Gosson.
Charges: Poetry is useless and a waste of time, there is more fruitful knowledge a man may spend his efforts on.
Reply: Poetry is conducive to virtuous action and this has been amply demonstrated.
Charges: Poetry is the mother of lies.
Reply: the poet affirms nothing, and therefore he never lies. Poetry does not deal with what is, but what should or should not be, so there is no question of lying.
Charges: Poetry has a corrupting influence, makes men effeminate and fills men’s minds with pestilent desires.
Reply: Love is not bad for it shows an appreciation of Beauty. Many martial men have admired poets. Poetry has always moved men to heroic action.
Charges: Plato banished poets from the Republic.
Reply: Plato was not against poetry, but the abuse of poetry. Plato himself was a born poet and a large part of his dialogues is poetic. In fact, he talks of Poetry as divine inspiration.
‘the first light-giver to ignorance
poetry
ancient romans called a poet
vates
Poetry is an art of ‘imitation’ and its chief function is to .
teach and delight
The three kinds of poetry, according to Sidney, are :
(a) religious poetry, (b) philosophical poetry, and (c) poetry as an imaginative treatment of life and nature.
Poetry is superior to Philosophy
in the sense that it has the power to move and to give incentive for virtuous action
poetry is ___________ of all sciences.
Monarch
nobody can resist the ___________ of tragedy
sweet violence
‘a light winged and sacred thing
plato on poets
