A Defence of Poesie and Poems  (English, Paperback, Sir Philip Sidney)

Also known as An Apology for Poetry, The Defence of Poesy is a work of literary criticism by Elizabethan poet Philip Sidney. It was written around 1579, and first published in 1595, after his death. The essence of his defence is that poetry combines the liveliness of history with the ethical focus of philosophy, and is more effective than either history or philosophy in rousing its readers to virtue. The Defence of Poesy is one of the most important contributions to literary theory written in English during the renaissance period. In it, Sidney advocates a place for poetry within the framework of an aristocratic state, but at the same time shows concern for both literary and national identity. The book is also a significant contribution to the genre of literary criticism. It is accredited to be England’s first philosophical defence in which Sidney describes poetry’s ancient and indispensable place in society, its mimetic nature, and its ethical function. The importance of Sidney’s work can be best appreciated by understanding the then prevailing political climate when many religious leaders were condemning the production of imaginative literature, the lyric and dramatic works were seen as little more than tools for corruption, and much of the writing being produced in England at that time was trite, hackneyed and dull. Sidney, a student of the classics and a poet himself, gave the path-breaking idea that there was aesthetic as well as and moral value in poetry, which for all intents and purposes, included all imaginative literature.