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Paper 10: Module 08: E Text Paper 10: Module 08: E Text MHRD-UGC ePG Pathshala - English Principal Investigator & Affiliation: Prof. Tutun Mukherjee, University of Hyderabad Paper No & Title: Literary Criticism and Theory (Paper 10) Paper Coordinator & Affiliation: Dr. Anita Bhela, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi Module Number & Title: Sir Philip Sidney: “An Apology for Poetry (08) Content Writer's Name & Affiliation: Dr. Anita Bhela, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, University of Delhi Name & Affiliation of Content Reviewer: Dr. Omana Antony, K. R. Mangalam University Name & Affiliation of Content Editor: Dr. Omana Antony, K. R. Mangalam University Biography Sir Philip Sidney was born on November 30, 1554 at Penshurst, Kent, England and died on October 17, 1586 at Arnhem, Netherlands. He was a courtier, statesman, soldier, critic, and poet who earned for himself the reputation of being an ideal gentleman. He belonged to a noble family of statesmen. His father, Sir Henry Sidney, was appointed Lord President of Wales and three times Lord Deputy of Ireland. His uncle, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was Queen Elizabeth’s most trusted adviser. Sidney had his early education at Shrewsbury School, where he developed friendship with classmate Fulke Greville, who later also became his biographer. At age 18, he moved on to Christ Church, Oxford and studied there for three years. From 1572-1575 he went on a tour of Europe and visited France, Germany, Austria, Hungary Poland, and Italy. On this tour, he gained knowledge of European politics, music, astronomy, geography and perfected his knowledge of Latin, French, and Italian. During his travels, he became acquainted with prominent European statesmen and scholars, including the humanist scholar Hubert Languet, who strongly influenced his religious and political beliefs. On his return to England, Sidney entered quickly into the political life of the court. His political interests took him to Ireland and Germany. Besides politics, Sidney had a great interest in literature and had close contacts with literary men. He associated with writers Fulke Greville, Edward Dyer, and Edmund Spenser. He desired to create a new English poetry and experimented with new meters. In 1578 Lady of May, a pastoral playlet, was performed in honor of Queen Elizabeth I. During this time, he also composed a major part of his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella, as the first draft of his prose romance, the Arcadia. In 1579 he composed Apology for Poetry probably as a rejoinder to the publication of Stephen Gosson's School of Abuse , which was dedicated to Sidney without his knowledge or approval. During his lifetime, Sidney's works circulated only in manuscript and were published posthumously. Sidney fell in love with Penelope Devereux, the daughter of the Earl of Essex, and most likely his inspiration for “Stella". She, however, married Lord Rich in 1581. Later, Sidney married Frances, the daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’ Secretary of State. In 1583, Sidney was knighted. In 1584, Sidney began a major revision of the Arcadia. In 1585, he was appointed governor of Flushing, a town that the Dutch had ceded to the Queen. He fought at the side of his uncle, the Earl of Leicester, in Flanders for several months. On Sept. 22 1586, in the battle of Zutphen in the Netherlands Sidney was fatally wounded. A musket ball struck his leg because of which he developed gangrene and died a few weeks later. Biographers relate tales of his generosity to his fellow soldiers. Sidney was only thirty-one when he died. He was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral in London after a magnificent, ceremonial state funeral. Major Works Arcadia 1590. Astrophel and Stella 1591. An Apology for Poetry was first published in 1595 under two titles as Defense of Poesie by William Ponsonby and An Apologie for Poetry by Henry Olney (without authorization). Sidney’s Apology attempts to raise the value of poetry to the highest level, especially in view of the contemporary criticism directed against it. During Sidney’s time, imaginative literature, especially poetry and drama, came under attack. Stephen Gosson’s School of Abuse (1579) attacked actors , playwrights and poets; criticized the social and moral disorder in fiction; viewed Literature as immoral, irresponsible, unrealistic and corrupting; and represents the generally held view of literature at this time. Such views were fostered by the absence of good writing in England. Sidney, a learned man, well versed in the classics, recognised the intrinsic value of poetry and took up cudgels to espouse it. To raise poetry to the highest level, he set about redefining the function of poetry to assign it a greater and more aesthetic role. Sidney thought there was ample scope to defend poetry and eulogise it, as it had fallen from its deserved status. To present a convincing defense Sidney presented his Apology in the classical style of presenting an argument, a style also followed by the Roman orator, Cicero. Textual Analysis An Apology for Poetry is a carefully planned, organized judicial argument in the form of a classical oration. It falls into the following divisions: (a) exordium: an introduction announcing the topic in such a way as to gain attention and good will; Sidney begins with a humorous reference to the treatise of John Pietro Pugliano, written in praise of horses and horsemanship. (b) narration: the statement of the facts of the case; Sidney states that the poets aim is to teach and delight. (c) propostio : theses or argument; Sidney refers to three kinds of poets. (d) confirmation: evidence that supports the theses; Sidney gives arguments that show the superiority of poetry over other disciplines. (e) refutation: answering arguments; Sidney answers all charges levelled against poetry. (f) digressio : digression; Sidney deals with the state of poetry in England in his own time.(g) perorati : Conclusion; Sidney concludes with ……….. The Poet and Poetry Sidney draws on both Plato and Aristotle to define poetry and defend poets. Aristotle defined poetry as an act of imitation, but for Sidney poetry is an art of imitation with a specific aim: “Poesy therefore is an art of imitation, for so Aristotle termeth 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. ( Sidney ). According to Plato’s theory of forms, Art being a reflection of a reflection is thrice removed from the ideal form and thus is the least real. However, Sidney adapts this theory to state that the ideal poet is able to create from a pre-existing idea called the fore-conceit. Based on this fore-conceit the poet creates a world that is golden and not brazen as is the natural world. Thus, through his imaginative recreation of the ideal golden world the poet comes close to representing Plato’s idea of the ideal form. Sidney here exploits the idea of mimesis to the full, stretching its very limits and possibly even going past it since he makes it cover all kinds of imitations from the faithful reproduction of appearances to the implementation of universals. Imitation is a generalized rendering, in which particular actions and characters are universally representative. The poet thus not only takes part in the divine act of creation but also provides the link between the real and ideal. Sidney adopts the language of Renaissance Platonism to draw a parallel between the activity of god in creating Nature and the activity of the human mind able “to grow in effect another nature”( Sidney ). For Sidney “the imaginative, hallucinatory character of Literature is justified by its utopian desire”( Sidney ). Sidney then elaborates on the superiority of this kind of mimesis over History and Philosophy. History is restricted to showing the experiences of past ages and to what happened. Its veracity is doubtful and it is not possible to draw any conclusions through particular examples. On the other hand, the philosopher “tells” what virtue and vice is in abstract terms without beauty of clarity and style. The philosopher speaks in a voice that is moralizing and teaches only those who are already learned. Poetry, however, is superior to both: a. It teaches and delights. b. Combines the precept with the example c. Achieves what cannot be achieved either by the historian or by the philosopher. The poet not only “shows” and “tells” what virtue is but also turns that gnosis (knowledge) into praxis (performance). d. The poet by representing ideal characters leads men to virtuous action. According to Sidney, teaching is of value only if it leads to action. Imitation for Sidney is “the representation of moral ideals in heroic characters and actions” (Sidney ). The poet needs to imitate moral and political abstractions such as the ideal ruler, the just state and civil felicity. Sidney gives the example of Cyrus, the great, celebrated by Zenophon in his Cryopedia. Cyropaedia was composed in 365 BCE. It treats the life of the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus “the Great”. Xenophon’s portrayal of Cyrus as a benevolent monarch, ruling through persuasion, rather than by force, built his reputation as a righteous and tolerant king. Cyropaedia was first considered a true account of Cyrus’s life but it is now generally agreed that Xenophon did not intend Cyropaedia as history. Classical scholars point out that a number of the so-called “facts” included in it are incorrect and that the “frequent citation of apparently exact numbers for armies and the like needs to be regarded as a literary device to inspire confidence to the reader”( Sidney ). Sidney uses Xenophon’s Cyropaedia to show the superiority of literature over history by praising it. He feels that Xenophon was justified in taking leeway with history to present an idealized, fictional account of Cyrus , the great, so as "not only to make a Cyrus, which had been but a particular excellency as nature might have done, but to bestow a Cyrus upon the world to make many Cyruses"( Sidney).
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