Sir Philip Sidney

Sidney's critical treatise was written about 1580 but not published until 1595, after his death, when two separate editions were published under different titles, 'An Apology for Poetry' and 'The Defence of Poesy'.

The Apology ( meaning 'explanation' rather than 'excuse') is scarcely original in anything it says (most of the key ideas are taken from Plato, Aristotle and Horace) but owes its significance to its timing and its spirited style.

It is said that he wrote the Apology in response to a work which had been dedicated to him, attacking poetry and plays; the author of this book is Stephen Gosson.

'Poesy', says Sidney, "is an art of imitation, for so Aristotle terms it in his word MIMESIS, that is to say, a representing, counterfeiting, or figuring forth; to speak metaphorically, a speaking picture, with this end, to teach and delight. '

Poetry does not offer a literal description of reality, it offers rather a heightened version of reality.

Sidney compares poetry favourably with history and philosophy. He finds history is too tied to particular facts, while philosophy is too abstract and obscure, but the poet is ideal

The essence of his defence is that poetry, by combining the liveliness of history with the ethical focus of philosophy, is more effective than either history or philosophy in rousing its readers to virtue.

One of the themes of the Apology is the insufficiency of simply presenting virtue as a percept; the poet must move men to virtuous action

To Sidney the poet is not tied to any subjection. He saw art as equivalent to "skill", a profession to be learned or developed.

He reconfigures Plato's argument against poets by saying poets are "the least lier". Poets never claim to know the truth, nor "make circles around your imagination", "nor rely on authority".