An Apology for Poetry : Key info
An Apology for Poetry is a notable literary work by Philip Sidney. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of An Apology for Poetry.
Key info
Full Title: An Apology for Poetry
Author: Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586)
Written Date: c. 1580
Published Date: 1595
Literary Period: Elizabethan Period; English Renaissance
Genre: Essay; Oration
Location Setting: England
Antagonist: The Elizabethan intellectuals who doubted the value of poetry.
Key Notes
Stephen Gosson: Stephen Gosson was born in 1554 and studied at Oxford. He moved to London in 1576 and later became a churchman. Gosson once wrote plays, but later attacked the theatre. His famous book “The Schoole of Abuse” (1579) blamed poets and players for harming society. He wrongly dedicated this book to Sir Philip Sidney. Sidney disliked this and later wrote “An Apology for Poetry” to defend poetry. Gosson replied with “Playes Confuted” in 1582. His attack led to many debates about poetry and drama. Though once a writer himself, Gosson became known as a strong critic of poets and plays.
Part of This Book: Sidney’s “An Apology for Poetry” was written to be read, not spoken. Despite this, it follows the classical seven-part form of a courtroom speech. It has an exordium or introduction (a “hook”), proposition (definition of poetry), division (taxonomy of poetry), examination (in-depth account of each kind), refutation (against four charges), peroration (flashy conclusion), and digression (on modern English poetry).