Question

In Defence of Poesie, what is Sidney’s main emphasis regarding the value of literature?

• A. Its ability to strictly adhere to historical accuracy
• B. Its primary function as a vehicle for political propaganda
• C. Its power to delight and show an ideal world
• D. Its potential to promote moral ambiguity and social disorder

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Its power to delight and show an ideal world

• While Sidney argues that poetry can teach, his real emphasis is on its delight—its power to show not the world as it is, but as it ought to be, inspiring virtue and imagination.