Defence of Poesie, by Phillip Sydney:
BASIC INFORMATION:
Title: Defence of Poesie (also known as An Apologie for Poetrie).
Author: Sir Philip Sydney.
Date of composition: Around 1579.
Date of publication: 1595, posthumously.
Genre: Prose.
Subgenre: Literary criticism.
Topic: The main topics of this text are the nature of literature and the relationship between nature and art.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
This is one of the first texts of literary criticism written in English. It is thought to be written in response to “The Schoole of Abuse”, an attack on poetry and stage plays that was dedicated to Sidney without his permission by Stephen Gosson, a former playwright.
In the text, the writer reflects on the nature of literature and the relationship between literature and art. He suggests that literature is the most important discipline and the other disciplines of the time, History, Philosophy, Mathematics, Astronomy and Medicine, among others, are subordinated to it.
Sydney also discusses the act of writing. He states that literature is based on lies “feigning of notable images” and provides a better version of nature: “Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers poets have done. . . Her world is brazen, the poets only deliver a golden”.
Finally, we can say that with this work, Sydney reconciles two points points of view regarding the purpose of art: art for art’s sake and art as a social product- “Poetry is an art of imitation, for so Aristotle termeth it in the 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”.
Sources:
http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/defence.html
