"Only the poet, disdaining to be tied to any such subjection, lifted up with the vigor of his own invention, doth grow, in effect, into another nature, in making things either better than nature brings forth, or, quite anew, forms such as never were in nature, as the heroes, demi-gods, cyclops, chimeras, furies, and such like; so as he goes hand in hand with nature, not enclosed within the narrow warrant of her gifts, but freely ranging within the zodiac of his own wit."
— Sidney, Philip, Sir (1554-1586)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for William Ponsonby
Date
1595 [c. 1579 in ms.]
Metaphor
"Only the poet, disdaining to be tied to any such subjection, lifted up with the vigor of his own invention, doth grow, in effect, into another nature, in making things either better than nature brings forth, or, quite anew, forms such as never were in nature, as the heroes, demi-gods, cyclops, chimeras, furies, and such like; so as he goes hand in hand with nature, not enclosed within the narrow warrant of her gifts, but freely ranging within the zodiac of his own wit."
Metaphor in Context
[...] And the Metaphysick, though it be in the seconds and abstract notions, and therefore be counted supernaturall: yet doth hee, indeede, build upon the depth of Nature: onely the Poet, disdayning to be tied to any such subjection, lifted up with the vigor of his own invention, dooth growe, in effect, into another nature, in making things either better than nature brings forth, or, quite a newe formes such as never were in Nature, as the Heroes, Demigods, Cyclops, Chimeras, Furies, and such like; so as he goes hand in hand with Nature, not inclosed within the narrow warrant of her guifts, but freely ranging onely within the Zodiack of his own wit.
(sig. C. verso) [EEBO image number 4 of 41]
(sig. C. verso) [EEBO image number 4 of 41]
Categories
Provenance
Reading Brian McHale's Postmodernist Fiction (New York and London: Methuen, 1987), 28.
Citation
Philip Sidney, The Defence of Poesie by Sir Phillip Sidney (London: Printed for William Ponsonby, 1595.) <Link to EEBO>
Date of Entry
01/27/2013
