This authoritative edition was originally published in the acclaimed Oxford Auth
ors series under the general editorship of Frank Kermode. It brings together a u
nique combination of Sidney's poetry and prose - all the major writing, compleme
nted by letters and elegies - to give the essence of his work and thinking. Born
in 1554, Sir Philip Sidney was hailed as the perfect Renaissance patron, soldie
r, lover, and courtier, but it was only after his untimely death at the age of 3
1 that his literary accomplishments were truly recognized.
This collection ra
nges more widely through Sidney's works than any previous volume and includes su
bstantial parts of both versions of the Arcadia, The Defence of Poesy and the wh
ole of the sonnet sequence Astrophil and Stella. Supplementary texts, such as hi
s letters and the numerous elegies which appeared after his death, help to illus
trate the whole spectrum of his achievements, and the admiration he inspired in
his contemporaries.
