“An Apology for Poetry”

Important lines from the text

 Pg. 24, line 35—39; pg. 26, line 77--79

• I have (a) just cause to make a pitiful defence of

poetry, which from almost the highest estimation
of learning is fallen to be the laughing-stock of
children, so have I need to bring some more
available proofs, since the former is by no man
barred of his deserved credit,...
• ...being poets, did exercise their delightful vein
in those points of highest knowledge which
before them lay hid to the world.
 Pg. 26, line 83—86; pg. 27, line 108--111

• And truly even Plato whosoever well

considereth, shall find that in the body of his
work, though the inside and strength were
philosophy, the skin, as it were, and beauty
depended most of poetry.
• so that truly neither philosopher nor
historiographer could, at the first, have entered
into the gates of popular judgements if they
had not taken a great passport of poetry...
 Pg. 27, line 136—138; pg. 29, line 181—
183; pg. 35, line 347--349
• among the Romans a poet was called vates, which is
as much as a diviner, foreseer, or phophet,...
• The Greeks called him a poet,... It cometh of this
word poiein, which is ‘to make’...
• Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as
diverse poets have done,... her world is brazen, the
poets only deliver a golden.
• This purifying of wit, this enriching of memory,
enabling of judgment, and enlarging of conceit,
which commonly we call learning...
 pg. 32, line 260; pg. 33, line 397-301

• Poesy, therefore, is an art of imitatation, for so

Aristotle termeth it in this 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.
• ...most properly do imitate to teach and delight;
and to imitate borrow nothing of what is, hath
been, or shall be; but range, only reined with
learned discretion, into the divine consideration
of what may be and should be.
 Pg.34, line 304-310
• For these...do merely make to imitate, and
imitate both to delight and teach, and
delight to move men to take that goodness
in hand, which without delight they would fly
as from a stranger; and teach to make them
know that goodness whereunto they are
moved; which being the noblest scope to
which ever any learning was directed, yet
want there not idle tongues to bark at them.
 pg. 34, line 332-337
• which I speak to show that it is not rhymng
and versing that maketh a poet (no more
than a long gown maketh and advocate,
who, though he pleaded in armour, should
be an advocate nd no soldier,) but it is that
feigning notable images of virtues, vices,
or else, with that delightful teaching, which
must be the right describing note to know
a poet by.
 pg. 36, line 377-381
• So that the ending end of all earthly
learning, being virtuous action, those skills
that most serve to bring forth that have a
most just title to the princes over all the
rest; wherein, if we can show, the poet is
worthy to have it beofore any other
competitors.
 Philosophers...

•...to find any path so ready to lead a man to

virtue, as that which teacheth what virtue is,
and teacheth it not only by delivering forth
his very being, his causes and effects, but
also by making known his enemy vice,
which must be destroyed...
 Historians
• scarcely giveth leisure to the morslist to
say so much, but that he, laden with old
mouse-eaten records, authorizing himself,
for the most part, upon other histories,
whose greatest authorities are built upon
the notable foundation of hearsay.
• historians are bound to tell things as
things are/were, cannot be liberal of a
perfect pattern
 philosopher vs. historian
pg. 37, line 417-423
He teacheth virtue by certain abstract
considerations, but I only bid you follow the
footing of them that have gone before you. Old
aged experience goeth beyond the fine-witted
philosopher; but I givemthe experience of many
ages. Lastly, if he make the song book, I put the
learner’s hand to the lute, and if he be the guide, I
am the light.
Precept: Philosophy; Example: History (line 428-
429)
 pg.39, line 468-472
• (A poet) Now doth the peerless poet
perform both; for whatsoever the
philosopher saith should be done, he
giveth a perfect picture of it in someone by
whom he presupposeth it was done, so as
he coupleth the general notion with the
particular example.
 pg. 41, line 511-514
pg. 39, line 473-475
• ...all virtue, vices, and passions so in their
own natural seats laid to the view, that we
seem not to hear them, but clearly to see
through them.
• ...the philosopher bestoweth but a wordish
description, which doth neither strike,
pierce, nor possess the slight of the soul
so much as that other doth.
 Pg. 42, line 543-553
• For conclusion, I say the philosopher
teacheth, but he teacheth obscurely, so as
the learned only can understand him; that
is to say, he teacheth them that are
already taught. but the poet is the food for
the tenderest stomachs; the poet is indeed
the right popular philosopher.
• poesy deals the universal consideration,
whereas history/philosophy with particular.
 pg. 46, line 668-673
• I conclude, therefore, that he excelleth
history, not only in furnishing the mind with
knowledge, but in setting it forward to that
which deserveth to be called and
accounted good; which setting forward,
and moving to well-doing, indeed setteth
the laurel crown upon the poet as
victorious, not only of the historian, but
over the philosopher, howsoever in
teaching it may be questionable.
Accusations of Stephen Gosson
Poetry is -
1. a waste of time
2. the mother of lies
3. nurse of abuse
4. banished out of Plato’s commonwealth
 Sidney’s Defence
• ...no learning is as good as that which teacheth
and moveth to virtue...(line-1076)
• ...he nothing affirmeth, and therefore never lieth.
(line-1095)
• ...not say that poetry abuseth man’s with, but that
man’s wit abuseth poetry...(line-1156)
• So as Plato, banishing the abuse, not thr thing,
not banishing it, but giving due honour unto it,
shall be our patron ant our adversary. (line 1320-
1323)
 Pg. 82, line: 1750-1755
• So that since the ever praiseworthy poesy
is full of virtue-breeding delightfulness, and
void of no gift that ought to bein the noble
name of learning; since the blames laid
against it are either false or feeble; since the
cause why it is not esteemed In England is
the fault of poet-apes, not poets...