Kendall's+Page


 * Sir Philip Sidney Biography**

Source #1: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/philip-sidney

Source #2: http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/sidbio.htm

Source #3: http://www.luminarium.org/editions/sidneyeliza.htm

Source #4: The Norton Anthology of British Literature


 * Introduction**

Sir Philip Sidney, born in 1554, did not think of himself as a writer in the conventional sense. He had an obvious passion for politics and foreign policy, one that proved evident in his continued involvement with Queen Elizabeth and her court. Sidney used his talent for writing, and the influence it allowed him, to attempt the changes he hoped to see in his country.


 * Family**

Born to Sir Henry Sidney and Mary nee Dudley, Sir Philip Sidney had a privileged upbringing. Though he was not himself a nobleman, Sidney came from a family full of influential people. His father was a "thrice lord deputy" (Source #4) in Ireland and his mother's family has close ties to the Queen. Sidney was also the grandson of the Duke of Northumberland, the nephew of Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) (Source #2), and the Godson of Philip II of Spain (Source #1).


 * Education**

At the age of 10, Sir Philip Sidney attended the Shrewsbury School, where he was deemed "very bright" (Source #1). There he met a boy named Fulke Greville, who became his lifelong friend. Sidney eventually went on to study at Oxford but never obtained his degree. (Source #2)


 * Religion**

Sidney lived his life as a devout Protestant, a trait that periodically caused issues in his political pursuits (Source #4). This was especially evident in Sidney's opposition to the marriage of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Anjou, who was Catholic. Sidney even went so far as to write to the Queen in an attempt to persuade her to cancel the marriage (Source #3). Again, Sidney used his way with words to try to make the changes he hoped to see within his country--in this case, to keep his country Protestant.


 * Writing Career**

Sidney's most famous works include Astrophil and Stella, The Defense of Poesy, and Arcadia. In his work Astrophil and Stella, Sidney advanced the art of poetry through his use of intensely emotional and personal sonnets. In this work specifically, Sidney discusses the most personal of issues but keeps his ideas fresh through an addition of "energia," or forcibleness, that is so common throughout his works (Source #4). In the Defense of Poesy, Sidney even mentions that this "energia" is a vital to authentic poetry (Source #4). The sonnets chosen for this page reflect his ... "how it sounds," "what is said," "how its said."


 * Conclusion**

In 1586, Sir Philip Sidney died of an infected thigh wound that he obtained in a battle against the Spanish.