Philip Sidney - An Apology for Poetry II Summary and Analysis

Sir Philip Sidney was an outstanding genius who emerged out with his startling contribution to English criticism during the Elizabethan age. His critical treatise 'An Apology for Poetry' is "an illuminating piece of literary criticism" and it is a landmark in the history of literary criticism. In this regard, David Daiches remarked that it is…

 "...one of the outstanding performances in English criticism and one which inaugurated a new face in critical history.'

 Sidney's 'An Apology for Poetry' falls into three major sections.

1) Commendation of Dignity of Poetry

2) Defence of Poetry

3) Review of Contemporary Poetry and Drama

 OCCASION OF 'APOLOGY':

Sidney was not originally a critic; he was compelled to write critical theories on poetry and drama. Sidney's treatise 'Apology' was probably a reply to an attack by one of the puritan critics Stephen Gosson who published his 'School of Abuse' in 1579.  It was dedicated to Sidney. So Sidney, being a lover and worshipper of poetry wrote his 'Apology' with a view to reply the charges of Stephen Gosson and to place poetry on the highest pedestal of esteem and honour.

 1)     COMMENDATION OF DIGNITY OF POETRY:

A)     ANTIQUITY: The first section of his treatise tries to put poetry on the highest level of honour. His first claim of poetry is its antiquity. He believed that poetry is the mother of knowledge and it is the first nurse of knowledge. He says that poetry is the first light giver to ignorance and the first nurse.

B) UNIVERSALITY: The second claim of poetry is its universality. Among the Romans the poets were called “Vates”, “diviners”, “foreseers” or prophets. The Greeks honoured the poets as “makers” or “creators”. Since the poet is a creator, he transforms nature. The world that he creates is far better than the real world.

"Nature's world is brassen; the poets deliver a golden one."

C) SIDNEY’S DEFINITION OF POETRY: The definition of poetry which Sidney gives is obviously Aristotelian but the Horacean overtone is also visible. He defines poetry as under:

"Poesy, therefore, is an art of imitation, a speaking picture, 

with this end to teach and delight."

Thus, poetry according to Sidney is an art wherein the poet represents the world but it is presented in a metaphorical way. The poet pleases and instructs by creating an ideal world of his own. He creates visual pictures.

D) SIDNEY’S VIEWS ON TYPES OF POETRY: After having defined poetry, Sidney moves on to discuss various types of poetry.

The first one is the poetry which presents the world in a better way and which teaches and pleases both.

The second kind of poetry is philosophical poetry. The examples of such poetry are found in the poets like Virgil, Lucretius, Cato and others. Their chief aim is delightful teaching. 

 

The third kind of poetry is from the “right poets” who deal with life imaginatives.  They are the “Vates”. They imitate life to delight and teach the readers. This third kind of poetry is further subdivided into many kinds. But the major kinds are – heroic, tragic, comic, satirical, elegiac, and pastoral and others.

 

     E) POETRY VS PHILOSOPHY /SIDNEY VS PLATO:

Then, Sidney enters into a debate with Plato, the great Greek philosopher. In order to establish his claim of the superiority of poetry, he examines the relation of poetry to philosophy and history. Sidney is of the view that philosophy teaches by precepts (teaching) and history by examples whereas the poet employs both - precepts and examples. Poetry is above history and philosophy. History deals with “what is” or “what was” and philosophy deals with “what should be”. But poetry is a mixture of both. The poet presents the fact in a new form to teach the reader in a pleasing way. The philosopher only teaches; he does not please. But the poet teaches and gives pleasure. That is why he says, "The poet is, indeed, the right philosopher."

 2)   DEFENSE OF POETRY AGAINST CHARGES:

The second section of ‘Apology’ is entirely devoted to defend poetry against various charges laid down by Stephen Gosson. Gosson discarded poetry on the following three major grounds:

 a) Poetry is unprofitable.

b) Poets are liars.

c) Poetry is a nurse of abuse; it abuses men's wit.

 Sydney replies these charges.

 He is of the view that poetry is not an unprofitable activity. Teaching virtue is the aim of all learning and poetry accomplishes this better than all arts.

 Regarding the second charge that poets are liars, he says that the poet never affirms, history affirms. Poetry only tells us what should be or what should not be. Hence, poetry does not tell a lie.

 The third charge was that poetry abuses men’s wit but Sidney replies that poetry does not abuse men’s wit but men’s wit abuses poetry. So, according to Sidney, abuse of poetry should be condemned and not the poetry.

 

He says that even Plato wrote glowing tributes to poets. Thus, Sidney replies all the three charges of Stephen Gosson.

 3) REVIEW OF CONTEMPORARY POETRY AND DRAMA:

A) SYDNEY’S VIEWS ON POETRY:

During the time of Sidney, poetry found its hard times in England. He believed that English poets had neglected the three basic principles of writing poetry – art, imitation and practice. However, he was in all praise for Chaucer, Spenser and Earl of Surrey.

 B) SYDNEY’S VIEWS ON TRAGEDY:

Sydney's views on tragedy are mostly drawn from Aristotle. He insisted on the observance of unities in drama.

Sidney points out two most serious defects of the contemporary drama - the gross improbabilities caused by the neglect of the unities of time and place and incongruous mingling of comic with tragic elements. Sometimes the scenes change from Asia to Africa, from a garden to a battlefield. Not only this, sometimes the whole life of a man is presented on the stage in two hours. These should be avoided.

Regarding the mixture of tragic and comic elements Sydney believes that sometimes both kings and clowns can be together on the stage. What he objects is the odd and ill-timed blending of tragic and comic elements.

 C) SIDNEY’S VIEWS ON COMEDY:

The most significant of his views on comedy is his distinction between delight and laughter. Sidney says that delight and laughter should be effectively combined in comedy. Then he talks about the subject matter of comedy. Evil and vicious things should not be the subject matter of comedy. The treatment of painful human deformities will arouse pity rather than amusement and humour. Proper raw material for comedy is to be found in human weaknesses of a harmless kind.

D) SYDNEY’S VIEWS ON POETRY:

Sidney was disappointed to see that England did not produce versatile poetry except lyrical songs and sonnets. Regarding the use of meter, he says that just as a long gown does not make an advocate only rhyming and meter does not make poetry. However, he believes that meter and rhyme have some divine force. The poet must give particular attention to each syllable as per the dignity of the subject. He also adds that the sound and sense must agree with each other in poetry.

 CONCLUSION:

Thus, Sidney's ‘Apology’ heralds a new phase of critical theory of English literature. He is a beautiful amalgam of classicist and romanticist. In his rejection of tragicomedy and in his insistence on unities and in his love for rules, he seems to be a classicist. But on the other hand, in his love for imagination and in his idea of making a more beautiful world he seems to be a romanticist.

 Through his treatise Sidney has not only answered the charges against poetry but has also imparted English poetry its due importance and honour. His ‘An Apology for Poetry’ releases a message that as long as men’s longing for truth and beauty are sustained and as long as men’s hearts are throbbing with various passions, poetry is going to continue forever.

David Daiches rightly wrote an encomium for Sidney in this manner:

"We might remember that from his day to ours, the vast majority of readers of imaginative literature have taken substantially his view and have generally applied it with less cunning and sensitivity."

 

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