An Apology for Poetry : An epitome of Renaissance Criticism

An Apology for Poetry   :  An epitome of Renaissance Criticism

Sidney’s Apologie for Poetrie (1580-81) was intended as a reply to Stephen Gosson’s School of Abus (1579) Gosson had inducted poetry on four counts: that a man coaid employ his time more usefully than in poetry that it is the mother of lies, that it is the nurse of abuseramt that, Plato had rightly banished poets from his ideal state. Sidney in his Apology replies to each of these charges, drawing copiously, in the absence of critical authorities in England, on the ancient classics and the Italian writers of the Renaissance: in particular, on Homer, Plato, Aristotle, and Plutarch, among the Greeks, Virgil, Horace and Ovid, among the Romans; and Minturno, Scaliger, and Castelvetro, among the Italians. Yet it is an original document.

Sidney’s Apology is not only a reply to Gosson but much more. It is a spirited defence of poetry against all the charges that had been laid at its door since Plato. He says that poetry is the oldest of all branches of learning; it is superior to philosophy by its charm, to history by its universality, to science by its moral end, to law by its encouragement of human rather than civic goodness. Among its various species the pastoral pleases by its helpful comments on contemporary events and life in general, the elegy by its kindly pity for the weakness of mankind and the wretchedness of the world, the satire by its pleasant ridicule of folly, the comedy by its ridiculous imitation of the common errors of life, the tragedy by its moving demonstration of ‘the uncertainty of this world, and upon how weak foundations guilden roofs are builded,’ the lyric by its sweep praise of all that is praiseworthy, and the epic by its representation of the loftiest truths in the loftiest manner. Neither in whole nor in parts, thus, does poetry deserve the abuse hurled on it by its detractors.

Hence Sidney says that a man might better spend his time in poetry. The poet is not a liar; the poet uses veracity or falsehood to arrive at a higher truth. It is not poetry that abuses man’s wit but man’s wit that abuses poetry. Plato found fault not with poetry, which he considered divinely inspired, but with the poets of his time who abused it to misrepresent the gods.

Sidney’s Apology is a veritable epitome of the literary criticism of Italian Renaissance; and so thoroughly it is imbued with this spirit, that no other work, Italian, French, or English can be said to give so complete and so noble a conception of the temper and the principles of Renaissance criticism. Sidney is the herald of Neo-classicism in England. He is essentially a theorist of the exuberant imagination. He fuses the romantic and the classical tendencies. His Defence of Poetry is the earliest attempt to deal with the poetic art, practically and not theoretically. His judgements are based on contemporary literature and show ample good sense and sound scholarship. It is not merely empty, abstract theorising: apart from the unities, his judgements are not governed to and great extent by rules and theories. His ultimate test is of a practical kind, i.e., the power of poetry to move to virtuous action. He has thus contributed to the appreciation of literature in the concrete.

Sidney’s work is comprehensive enough to incorporate all the existing forms of poetry in his age. He gives his views on the nature and function of poetry, on the three unities, on tragedy and comedy, and on diction and metre. It is the pioneer in dramatic criticism. As a French critic has observed. Sidney‘s Defence of Poetry “gives us an almost complete theory of neo-classical tragedy, a hundred years before the ‘Art Poetique’ of  Boileau.’”

Sidney‘s Apologie for Poetrie has rightly been valued as “one of the outstanding performances in English criticism and one which inaugurated a new phase in critical history. ” Outmoded though some of the critical opinions contained in it now are, yet it provides a singularly lofty and noble introduction to the long line of English treatises on the art of poetry. Its significance lies in the fact that it comes at a time when most of the gentlemen shunned the name of being called a ‘poet.’ Sidney‘s vindication of poetry and his serious treatment of the poetic art enthused a new confidence in them and poetry came to be looked upon as a noble and worthy pursuit, no more a ‘laughing stock of children.’ Sidney boldly faced the traditional objections to poetry and he tried to dispel the mists of prejudice that had gathered around it. His approach was not only negative but he positively tried to bring out the value of poetry in the social and intellectual life of society. He presented his arguments in the lost lucid and persuasive manner. He was treating poetry as a poet with ‘illuminating insight’ and ‘inspiring enthusiasm.’ Professor Atkins says:

“Nowhere else do we find the same happy mingling of the ideal and the practical, the same blend of dignity and humour; of sincerity and irony, of controlled enthusiasm and racy colloquialism; or again, that unstudied simplicity and grace which everywhere pervade the work. “

What was precisely the influence of this treatise on Sidney’s contemporaries is only a matter of conjecture. It was circulated in manuscript among his friends and other literary circles during his life and ‘ was soon quoted in the best critical places—in Puttenham’s Arte of 1589, in Harington’s Apologie of 1598.’ Its influence on Ben Jonson, Shakespeare and other dramatists is quite obvious. It gives incentive to creative writing. When this treatise was written, English literature stood at the lowest ebb. In less than twenty-five years after its publication, it became one of the glories of the world. Apart from its influence on the creative writers of the Elizabethan age. Sidney’s treatise showed the direction of later criticism, the neo-classical as well as the romantic. The neo-classical critics made a fetish of his views on the observance of the unities, and the romantic critics like Shelley drew inspiration from its fountain for supporting their theory of creative imagination Even to the modern readers it continues to charm ‘with its idealism, its sanity, its humour, and its grace. ‘(Atkins).

The Apologie is a kind of formal beginning of literary theorizing in England, and a brilliant enough one. The essay reflects and telescopes not only the continental criticism of the century but a certain amount of classical Greek and Roman as well. Sidney was well-acquainted with the classical Greek and Roman critics. “But it all matters little. Sidney wrote, not a pedant’s encyclopaedia, but a gentleman’s essay.

Points to Remember

1.          Written in 1680-81 as a reply to Gosson’s School of Abuse, Sidney’s Apology is an epitome of Renaissance criticism, the foundation on which the castle of the future criticism of Sidney’s age rests.

2.          A spirited defence of poetry on the whole; poetry’s oldest branch of knowledge, superior to philosophy, history and science.

3.          Shows Sidney’s good sense and sound scholarship; a great contribution towards the appreciation of literature; gives an almost complete theory of neo-classical tragedy.

4.          A blend of the ideal and the practical, of dignity and humour; of sincerity and irony, of controlled enthusiasm and racy colloquialism. (Atkins)

5.          Its deep influence and circulation. Influence on Ben Jonson and Shakespeare and Shelley quite apparent.

6.          “The essay reflects and telescopes not only the continental criticism of the country but a certain amount of classical Greek and Roman as well.”

Sidney Contributions to English Criticism

Sidney's Apology is an important Renaissance document. It is a synthesis of the critical doctrines of Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Scaliger, Minturno, and a host of other writers and critics. It brings together romanticism and classicism. It is the first attempt in English to deal with the poetic art, practically and not theoretically.

On the nature and function of poetry, on the three unities, on tragedy and comedy, and on diction and metre, Sidney represents contemporary trends. Everywhere his work reflects the influence of Aristotle and Plato and other classical writers. But his originality lies in the skill with which he has draws upon, selected, arranged and adapted earlier ideas and then has put forth his own ideas, independently arrived at. He makes use of 1. Italian critics, 2. Classical critics, Plato and Aristotle 3. Roman critics, Horace and Plutarch. 4. He also shows the influence of the medieval concept of tragedy, and 5. His didactic approach to poetry is typically Renaissance approach. However, his manner of presentation, his freshness and vigour, and his logical faculty are characteristically his own. His style has dignity, simplicity, concreteness, and a racy humour and irony. It is an illuminating piece of literary criticism as well as a fine piece of creative literature.

Sidney approached poetry not as a pedantic critic, but as a responsive reader. While most of his contemporaries were busy framing rules of rhetoric and prosody, he was paving the way for creative literature. He was preparing an audience who could 'feel' the emotional impact of literature and appreciate it. Sidney felt that literature was a great dynamic force and it had the power 'to move', 'to uplift' and to satisfy emotionally and aesthetically. J. W.H. Atkins has pointed out that "to him poetry was a natural human activity enabling men to sing to beauty and truth, and to satisfy their longings for a world transformed, thus nurturing in them what was good and noble. Moreover, so far from being merely an instrument of moral teaching, it was a concrete and inspiring revelation of human deals, and thus, in a sense, a criticism of life. This, then with its element of permanent truth, was the substance of Sidney's message to an age perplexed and even hostile."

No doubt Sidney has freely drawn on earlier critics, yet he has tried to arrive at his own conception of poetry. The basic question he meets is: why is poetry valuable. The second section of his essay deals with the nature and value of poetry. This is followed by an examination of the objection to poetry. The fourth section presents a critique of the contemporary literary poetry and of morality.

His definitions of poetry, two in number, speak of his greatness as a critic. The first is :"Poesy, therefore, is an art of imitation, a representing, counterfeiting, or figuring forth; to speak metaphorically, a speaking picture, with this end,—to teach and delight." The second is :"it is not rhyming and versing that maketh a poet. ...but it is that feigning notable images of virtue or vice, or -what else, with that delightful teaching; which must be the right describing note to know a poet by. "

His defence of poetry is unique. It logically refutes the contemporary charges of the puritans against poetry. Poetry is universal; the first light-giver to ignorance and the first nurse. The earliest recorded or preserved utterance of any nation is a form of poetic expression alone. The ancients delivered wisdom only through poetry. The first philosophers and scientists came before the people in the garb of poets. The poet is a creator, like God. The world created by the poet is a better world than ours. Only in the poetic world do we come across true lovers, constant friends, valiant men, right princes, and excellent men. These characters are perfect. The bad men in this world have unmixed badness, and such villains are not allowed to go unpunished. Poetry is superior to history and philosophy. The poet has both the general and the particular example. But the philosopher is only theoretical, for he has examples. The historian has examples, but no precepts. The historian speaks of what has been, not of what ought to be. The philosopher is vague and speaks of what should be.

The poet speaks of both what is and what should be of what is universal and what is particular. Poetry has liveliness and passion which are lacking in history and philosophy.

Sidney's remarks on tragedy, tragi-comedy and comedy speak of his knowledge of the contemporary trends of literature and his wide readings. In the field of drama his observations were true not only in his age but are also true and valid even today. His observations on satire and various forms of poetry are of great significance so are his views on diction, metre and verse. Surprisingly enough Sidney offers the best defence of metre. Praising English, he says that only in English can rhyme be observed "very precisely."

The essay reflects and telescopes not only the continental criticism of the century but a certain amount pf classical Greek and Roman as well. Further, Dramatic criticism in England began with Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney was 'the president of chivalry and nobleness.' He was, as Hakluyt called him the finest flower of the garden of wit and art. He saw that Poetry in his own days had fallen from high estimation to be the laughing stock of children. Gosson in his 'School of Abuse' has condemned poetry and had called it the mother of lies and the nurse of abuse. He had pointed out that there were better professions and vocations than that of a poet and that the suggestion of Plato should be followed in turning out the poets from the state. Sidney who was himself a poet could not relish the idea and sharply and violently reacted against the views of Gosson and the Puritans. He wrote a pitiful defence of Poetry and based the claims for poetry on its divine origin, its prophetic nature, its cultural value, its universal appeal, its elevating power and its alluring methods. He said that poetry was the most ancient and 'full of virtue breeding delightfulness.' He replied to all the charges made by the critics of his days and put back poetry to its own pedestal. He made it popular and freed it from the bondage and slavery of the Puritans. He revitalised it and gave it new life and vigour. It was to his attempts that Poetry was again read with interest and poets like Shakespeare and Spenser md others made England 'nest of singing birds.'

Points to Remember

1.       Apologie—an important Renaissance document—a synthesis of the critical doctrines of Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Scaliger, Mintumo and a few other Italian critics—a union of romanticism and classicism, first important English document in criticism.

2.       Sidney represents contemporary trends on the nature and function of poetry, on the three dramatic unities, on tragedy and comedy.

3.       His originality lies in the selection, arrangement and adaptation of earlier ideas. Also original in his style, presentation, etc.

4.       Approached poetry not as a pedantic critic but as a responsive reader. He has his own conception of poetry. His defence of poetry is sound, logical and convincing. His view that "it is not riming and versing that maketh a poet" has proved to be a universal utterance.

5.       He has rightly upheld the superiority of poetry over history, philosophy and science.

6.       He regards the poet as God, the creator.

7.       Sidney's remarks on tragedy, tragi-comedy and comedy speak of the contemporary trends of literature and his wide ranging interests.

8.       "Dramatic criticism in England began with Sir Philip Sidney." (Spingarn).

9.       Sidney, "the president of chivalry and nobleness," "the finest flower of the garden of wit and art."

10.     Sidney revitalised poetry and gave it new life.