An Apology for Poetry : Summary

Summary

Sidney’s Story and Purpose of Writing

Sir Philip Sidney begins his writing with a story. He talks about learning horse riding from an Italian teacher named Giovanni Pietro Pugliano. This teacher did not only teach how to ride a horse. He also explained why riding is noble and useful. Sidney shares this story to make his point. He says that he will not teach how to write poetry. Instead, he will explain why poetry is important. Just like Pugliano found a deeper meaning in horse riding, Sidney wants readers to understand the deeper value of poetry.

Poetry’s Lost Honour and Cultural Importance

Sidney says that many people in his time spoke badly about poetry. They laugh at poets and say poetry is childish. But this was not always the case. In the past, people respected poetry a lot. Sidney feels that poetry needs to be defended. He wants to speak for poetry because people call him a poet. He wishes to bring back poetry’s good name. He says that the arts are now fighting each other like a civil war. But they should actually support one another.

Sidney believes that people who attack poetry are ungrateful. Poetry has helped education from the beginning of history. In ancient times, people used poetry to teach children. Famous Greek poets like Homer and Hesiod made learning interesting through poetry. Great Italian poets like Dante and English poets like Chaucer made their languages richer through poetry. Poetry was the first way to share knowledge and culture.

Poetry in Ancient Learning

In old times, poetry and other subjects were not separated. Scientists and philosophers like Thales and Pythagoras wrote in verse. Even Plato, who criticized poetry, wrote in a poetic style. Historians like Herodotus also used poetic language when writing about things they did not see. This shows that poetry was once part of all learning, not a separate subject.

Poetry’s Universal Appeal and Deep Roots

Sidney says poetry is powerful in all cultures. People respected poets even in countries like Turkey, Ireland, and Wales, where formal education was less available. Poetry stayed alive even when foreign rulers tried to destroy local traditions. Sidney himself travelled across Europe and saw that common people everywhere loved poetry. This shows that poetry has a natural charm that lasts through time.

Sidney also talks about the meaning of the word “poet” in different languages. In Latin, the word “vates” means both poet and prophet. People believed poets could see the future. The English word “charm” comes from the Latin word “carmen,” which means poem. Even religious messages like those of the Oracle at Delphi were spoken in verse. This proves that people in ancient times took poetry very seriously.

The Poet as Creator of Ideal Worlds

The Greek word for poet is “poietes,” which means “maker.” Sidney likes this meaning. He says that poets do not just copy nature. They create better and more perfect worlds through imagination. Other writers have to follow facts, but poets can imagine ideal heroes like Aeneas or Cyrus. These heroes show us how to be brave, wise, and loyal. Poets use their creativity like God, making improved versions of the world.

Sidney explains that true poetry is not just about rhyming words. The main skill of a poet is in creating great ideas. Before writing, the poet imagines perfect pictures of goodness. This power of imagination makes poetry special. Some works, like Xenophon’s stories, are not in verse, but they are still poetry because they are full of imagination. Verse is only one tool poets use. It is not the central part of poetry.

Definition of Poetry and Its Teaching Power

Sidney then gives a clear definition of poetry. He says poetry is an “art of imitation.” It copies real life but also improves it. Aristotle called this “mimesis.” Sidney says poetry is like a “speaking picture.” It both teaches and entertains. He divides poetry into three main types:

• Religious poetry: It includes the Psalms, which praise God.
• Philosophical poetry:  This Poetry teaches about nature or morality.
• Right poetry:  It is the best kind. It creates new and ideal worlds.

Sidney says the best poets are the most creative ones. They do not just describe the real world like historians or philosophers. Instead, like good painters, they imagine perfect examples of goodness. They don’t just show what is, but what should be. These poets inspire readers to become better people. That is why they deserve to be called “vates” or prophets, because they help guide society toward goodness.

Sidney then names different kinds of poetry: heroic, lyric, tragic, comic, satirical, pastoral, and others. He says most poetry uses verse, but some great poetry, like Heliodorus’s stories, is written in prose. Verse makes writing more beautiful and easier to remember. But real poetry is in the imagination, not in rhyme or rhythm. The style should match the greatness of the ideas.

Poetry vs. Philosophy and History

Sidney says the primary goal of learning is to make people better. Subjects like astronomy or mathematics give practical knowledge, but they do not improve character. Moral philosophy tries to teach good behavior, but it is often too hard to understand. History tells true stories, but it cannot show perfect behavior. Poetry is the only subject that both teaches and moves the heart. It helps people change and become good.

Philosophers use difficult and abstract words. Ordinary people do not understand them. They try to control human desires with logic, but they often fail. Historians tell what really happened in the past. However, they show both good and bad examples and do not give clear moral lessons. The philosopher offers rules but no examples. The historian provides examples but no rules.

Poetry solves both these problems. It teaches ideas through stories and characters. For example, reading about Aeneas teaches loyalty more clearly than a philosophy class. We still use phrases like “as greedy as Midas” to teach moral lessons. Poetry makes complex ideas easy to understand and easy to remember.

Some people say poetry uses fake stories, but Sidney says even those stories teach lessons. Historians also make up speeches or small details to help explain events. Poets create ideal characters like Cyrus or Aeneas, which may teach better than real-life examples. History is stuck with facts, but poetry can imagine how things should be.

Poetry’s Impact, Criticism, and Final Defence

History must show both good and bad results, which may confuse people. Evil people sometimes succeed in history. But poetry gives clear moral messages. Sidney jokes that history is a prisoner of foolish truth, while poetry is free to teach perfect truth. Even great kings like Alexander the Great preferred Homer’s poetry to Aristotle’s lessons to learn about virtue.

Sidney says the most substantial proof of poetry’s value is its emotional power. Aristotle said that real learning should lead to action. Philosophy helps only a few people understand good behavior, but poetry inspires everyone. Poetry teaches through emotion. Like sweet food hides medicine, poetry hides lessons in enjoyable stories. The Bible’s parables and old fables show that stories teach better than lectures.

Sidney gives examples. The Roman leader Menenius stopped a rebellion by telling a story. He compared the state to a body where every part must work together. The prophet Nathan made King David feel guilty by telling him a story about a stolen lamb. These stories had more power than plain speeches. This proves that poetry can truly change people.

After praising poetry in general, Sidney looks at different kinds. Pastoral poems about shepherds may look simple, but they have deep meanings. Elegies express sadness and help us understand life. Satire and comedy laugh at human foolishness. When we see silly characters on stage, we also laugh at our own mistakes and want to improve.

Tragedy teaches by making us feel pity and fear. It shows how even good people can suffer from minor errors. It warns proud people to be humble. Lyric poetry praises goodness and God. It gives courage, like the war songs of the Spartans. Heroic poetry shows great heroes like Achilles and teaches the highest moral lessons. Sidney says this is the best kind of poetry.

Sidney also answers the questions of people who criticize poetry. Some say poetry is full of lies. But poets never claim their stories are true. No one thinks Aesop’s fables are real history! Others say poetry is dangerous and ruins morals. But the problem is not with poetry itself, but with bad poets. A sword is not bad just because some people use it for evil. Some say Plato attacked poetry, but Sidney reminds us that Plato also wrote in a poetic style. He probably feared poetry because it was so powerful.

Sidney agrees that modern English poetry has some problems. Many writers break classical rules. They mix serious kings with funny clowns. They write about events across many years and countries in one play. Some poets use big words without real meaning. But these are the faults of bad poets, not of poetry itself. Like Chaucer’s, good poetry shows that English can be both sweet and noble when used well.

At the end, Sidney says poetry should be respected. It is the best way to teach people how to be good. It mixes philosophy’s wisdom with examples from history. It also entertains people and moves their hearts. Bad poets may have made poetry look bad, but real poetry is still noble. People who attack poetry do not understand its actual value. Poetry is a powerful tool for education and for society.