Philosop­hers in Literatu­re: William Wordswor­th, John Dryden and Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney

An apology for poesy was written by Sir Philip Sidney to answer Stephen Gosson in his four accusations to poetry. The first accusation by Gosson is that poetry is a waste of time. Sidney`s defense that poetry is the source of inspiration and information to scientists and historians and can be found in all cultures. The second accusation is that poetry is that mother of all lies. Sidney answers that poets never claim that it is true and they know it is fiction, but the theme is true and universal to all nations. Gosson`s third point is that poetry is immoral and a nurse of abuse. Sidney says that people only who misuse and abuse poetry and that all art and science can produce negative effects by misusing. Also, it can help providing morality and peace by avoiding violence and bloodsheds. This means that anything in the universe can bring immorality by only the misusing of the people themselves. The last point is Gosson agreeing with Plato when he banished poets from the city. Sidney explains that Plato`s aim is to banish the abuse of poetry not poets.

John Dryden

John Dryden is the writer of "An Essay of Dramatic Poesy". Dryden is trying to justify drama as an accepted form of poetry. He wrote it as a form of a dialogue between four critics with different points of view about drama. It focuses in five issues which are ancient and modern drama, French vs. English, unities, tragedy and comedy separately vs. tragic-comedy, and the use of rhyme in drama. The first one of the four critics is Crites who is defending the ancients against modern drama. He says that the moderns are imitating the ancients adding nothing new and not following their advice especially at the three unities. The moderns use a long period of time and different places with sub plots while it should be in a single day and place and simple plot. He believes that rhyme should be eliminated because it sounds so artificial and invented. In counter, Eugenius objected the ancient drama. He says that the plot`s actions are transparent and obvious and everyone can guess what will happen. Also, they did not enforce the unity of place as the French. He says that the ancients imitated many emotions and actions but dismissed love. The third critic is Lisideius who is defending the French drama. He claims that they are the best of Europe because they keep unities. They keep unity of one action with no sub plots and focus only in one hero with the use of narration to report actions that cannot be shown. He says that the French rely on "known history" combined with fiction to show truth. The last critic is Neander who is defending the English drama against the French. He sees that the English is the best to imitate human natures. He also defended the invention of tragic-comedy which provide a cheer and rest from the heaviness of the tragedy. The use of sub plots makes the play more interesting along with the surprise element which makes the play more entertaining and instructive. He mentions the concept of "the suspension of disbelief" and he says that the audience already knows it is not real. Unlike Crites, he says that rhyme is artful imitation of nature and if it was done in a proper way it improves the play. He also suggests that comedy should not be rhymed only heroic tragedy. I think Neander is the most convincing because his idea about the sub plots which makes the play more interesting as he says and it makes the audience reach and relate more to the characters. Also, the idea of tragic-comedy which makes the play more entertaining because it provides different feeling to the audience.