Author
Philip Sidney
1554-1586
Philip Sidney (1554-1586) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaSubjects
Books by Philip Sidney
The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
"The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia" by Philip Sidney is a prose pastoral romance written towards the end of the 16th century. This ambitious work blends idealized shepherd life with dramatic tales of jousts, political intrigue, kidnappings, and battles. When a duke receives an ominous oracle predicting stolen daughters and a usurped throne, he retreats to a pastoral lodge—hoping to escape fate. Sidney significantly revised and expanded his original version before his death, creating two major texts that scholars call the Old and New Arcadia.
A Defence of Poesie and Poems
"A Defence of Poesie and Poems" by Philip Sidney is a work of literary criticism written around 1580 and published in 1595. Sidney argues that poetry surpasses both history and philosophy in inspiring readers toward virtue by combining historical liveliness with ethical purpose. Responding to attacks on poetry, including Stephen Gosson's critique of the English stage, Sidney defends poetry's noble place in society through its power to teach and delight. This groundbreaking essay became England's first philosophical defense of imaginative literature during the Renaissance.
Sir P.S.: His Astrophel and Stella Wherein the excellence of sweete poesie is concluded
"Sir P.S.: His Astrophel and Stella" by Philip Sidney is an English sonnet sequence probably composed in the 1580s. This collection of 108 sonnets and 11 songs tells the story of Astrophil, the star lover, and his beloved Stella, the star. Drawing on Petrarchan tradition, Sidney explores love, desire, and poetic creation through an ongoing narrative. Some scholars believe the work reflects Sidney's own betrothal to Lady Penelope Devereux, though others view it as artistic invention rather than autobiography.