A Defense of Poetry Author:Sir Philip Sidney, Jan Van Dorsten Often seen as a key to understanding Elizabethan poetry, Sidney's persuasive treatise follows the rules of rhetoric in presenting evidence of the virtues of poetry. Sidney argues with wit and irony that poetry is the art which best teaches what is good and true. This seems a fitting argument for this prominent experimental poet who himself is sa... more »id to have represented 'life and action good and great.'
This posthumously published work was written in response to an attack on poetry by a leading Puritan. In the essay, Sidney reminds his readers of the long and respectable tradition of poetry, especially in the ancient world, and articulates his belief (based on Aristotle's) that the poet's function is both to delight and to instruct.« less