The Defence of Poesy

Sir Philip Sidney, the author of this treatise, does not distance his voice from the work. Rather, he inserts his own commentary and opinions throughout the essay, making himself a vivid presence behind the argument. Sidney was a member of the English aristocracy and was educated at Oxford. He served as a Member of Parliament multiple times in his life and acted as a diplomat under Queen Elizabeth I. Sidney travelled extensively around Europe thanks to this role, a fact that he mentions in the opening lines of The Defence of Poesy.

Sidney was a poet, known for writing Astrophel and Stella and The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia. The author also moved in educated circles, associating with poets, scientists, and other humanist thinkers of his time. A militant Protestant, Sidney was wounded in Spain while fighting the Spanish Catholics. The wound became gangrenous, and he died a few days later at the age of 31. It was said that the mortally-wounded Sidney offered his water to a fellow soldier, saying: “Thy necessity is yet greater than mine.” This story remains popular today and illustrates the virtue of manly courage that is so important in Sidney’s The Defence of Poesy.