Why Did Sidney Write “An Apology for Poetry?”

Answer

Why did Sidney write “An Apology for Poetry?” 

A Puritan critic, Stephen Gosson (1554-1624), in his book “The School of Abuse” (1579), brings four major allegations against poetry. Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) wrote “An Apology for Poetry” (1595) to defend those allegations. He used examples from history, religion, and philosophy to prove that poetry helps people become better. Let us see this.

Full of Lies: Critics say that poetry is full of lies. They believe poets make up fake stories. So poetry cannot be trusted. Sidney answers this by saying poets do not lie. Poets never say that their stories are real. Just like Aesop’s fables, poetry uses fiction to teach moral lessons. Everyone knows that poems are made-up stories. Even history books add false speeches to make events clear. Poets use imagination to show good examples. These stories may not be true, but they teach the truth. For example, stories like The Tortoise and the Hare teach patience. So, poetry is not lying. Instead, it is teaching through stories.

Waste of Time: Gosson claims poetry is useless. They think it does not teach practical skills like science or math. Sidney disagrees. He says poetry teaches morality better than other subjects. Philosophy uses hard words, and history mixes good and bad examples. It is evident in the following quote.

“For conclusion, I say the philosopher teaches, but he teaches obscurely, so as the learned only can understand him, that is to say, he teaches that are already taught.” 

But poetry combines both. It gives clear lessons through stories. For example, reading about brave heroes like Aeneas inspires courage. Poetry also makes learning enjoyable. So people remember lessons longer. Even kings like Alexander the Great learned from Homer’s poetry.

Poetry Corrupts Morals: Critics say poetry encourages bad behavior. They think love poems or comedies make people foolish or immoral. Sidney says the problem is not poetry itself but bad poets. A knife is not evil; it is only if someone uses it for harm. Good poetry, like