Which of the following texts are not cited as examples of religious poetry by Philip Sidney in his essay on poetry?

Correct option is B

Explanation:

In Philip Sidney’s essay on poetry, he refers to works that he considers exemplary for various genres of poetry, including religious poetry. Sidney discusses various texts that exemplify religious poetry, particularly in the context of medieval and early Christian poetry. However, David's Psalms and Solomon's Song of Songs are biblical texts rather than works that Sidney directly mentions as examples in his analysis of religious poetry.

Sidney’s essay focuses on works like Caedmon's Hymn, Cynewulf’s Christ II, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, which were notable during his time and discussed for their religious and poetic qualities. As a result, Option 2 is the correct answer because these specific texts, David’s Psalms and Solomon’s Song of Songs, are not explicitly cited by Sidney as examples in his essay.
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Information Booster:

- Defending the fictional realm that poetry creates, Sydney says that the world created by poetry is the epitome of all histories, mythologies, and philosophies. After all, all the classical epics are written in poetic form. Various types of poetic forms like comedy, satire, tragedy, lyric, heroic, and pastoral embody and commemorate a variety of great historical achievements.

- In his work The Defense of Poesy, Sidney defends poetry’s value, including religious themes in works like Caedmon’s Hymn and Cynewulf's Christ II.

- Cynewulf is known for his religious poetry, particularly in works like Christ II and The Phoenix, which were seen as powerful religious poems in the Old English tradition.

- David’s Psalms: While religious, these psalms are not typically cited by Sidney in his Defense of Poesy, as they are part of sacred scripture.

- Solomon’s Song of Songs: This biblical text, also known as The Song of Solomon, was revered but not specifically mentioned in Sidney’s discussion of religious poetry in the essay.

- Milton’s Paradise Lost: Sidney’s essay predates Milton’s work, but later critics often cite Milton’s Paradise Lost as a pinnacle of religious poetry.

- Context of Sidney’s Essay: Sidney’s essay focuses on defending poetry in general and analyzing how poets, including those who wrote religious poetry, could contribute to moral and intellectual improvement.