The Defence of Poetry

    sirphilipsidney(1554-86)isoneofthemostimportantwritersoftheenglishressaissance.inthisbookheturnshisattentiontothestatusofpoetryinengland.defenseofpoetry(alsoknownasadefenceofpoesie)—sidneywrotethedefencebefore1583.itisgenerallybelievedthathewasatleastpartlymotivatedbystephengosson,aformerplaywrightwhodedicatedhisattackontheenglishstage,theschoolofabuse,tosidneyin1579,butsidneyprimarilyaddressesmoregeneralobjectionstopoetry,suchasthoseofplato.inhisessay,sidneyintegratesanumberofclassicalanditalianpreceptsonfiction.theessenceofhisdefenseisthatpoetry,bycombiningthelivelinessofhistorywiththeethicalfocusofphilosophy,ismoreeffectivethaneitherhistoryorphilosophyinrousingitsreaderstovirtue.theworkalsooffersimportantcommentsonedmundspenserandtheelizabethanstage.