virtue goodness and morality right and wrong But unlike philosophy which teaches using difficult words and ideas poetry makes learning simple and interesting Sidney says Whatsoever the philosopher saith should be done the poet giveth a perfect picture of it Philosophy teaches moral rules but these rules are hard to understand and remember History shows real events but it does not always teach clear lessons because sometimes bad people succeed and good people suffer Poetry is better than both because it creates perfect examples of virtue through heroes and stories People can learn what is right and wrong by reading about characters who show goodness bravery and wisdom For example Aeneas from Virgil s Aeneid teaches duty and responsibility Hercules from Greek mythology shows strength and perseverance These characters inspire readers to be good in real life Sidney calls the poet The right popular philosopher Poetry Makes Learning Enjoyable Sidney says that poetry does not just teach it also makes learning fun and interesting Many people do not like to read history or philosophy because they find it boring or difficult But poetry presents knowledge in a way that is beautiful and enjoyable Sidney draws a comparison between honey and medicine A sick child does not want to take bitter medicine But if the medicine is mixed with honey the child will take it happily Poetry is like medicine mixed with honey Similarly people may not want to learn difficult moral lessons but when these lessons come in the form of poetry stories or songs they enjoy learning them Poetry uses imagination emotions and beauty to make learning exciting This is why people love poetry songs and stories more than dry facts Poetry Touches the Heart Sidney also argues that poetry does something special it touches the heart Philosophy only teaches the mind it tells people what is right and wrong but it does not make them feel anything Poetry reaches both the mind and the heart it makes people feel emotions like love bravery and kindness Hence poetry naturally makes people good For instance If a philosopher explains that helping the poor is good many people may not care But if a poet tells a moving story of a poor man who was helped by a kind stranger people will feel inspired to help others This emotional power makes poetry the best teacher of morality Sidney s Examples Sidney gives examples to show how poetry has influenced people in history Menenius Agrippa a Roman politician used a fable poetic story to stop a civil war Nathan the Prophet told a story to King David making him realize his mistakes and repent These examples show that poetry has real power to guide people toward good actions Sidney s Answer to Critics of Poetry Some people argue that poetry is a waste of time or morally bad Sidney strongly disagrees He argues that bad poets not poetry itself are responsible for any harm Good poetry always teaches virtue He also reminds people that even Jesus used parables short poetic stories to teach moral lessons To sum up Sidney proves that poetry has a double purpose it teaches and delights at the same time Unlike history which only tells what happened or philosophy which is difficult to understand poetry uses beautiful language emotions and imagination to make learning easy and enjoyable