The lines provided are from Sir Philip Sidney's work, "Defense of Poesie" (also known as "An Apology for Poetry"). In this work, Sidney argues in favor of poetry, defending it against critics who claimed it was inferior to other forms of knowledge or literature, such as history or philosophy. The specific argument in the excerpt you provided compares the value of the poet with that of the historian and the moral philosopher, asserting that poetry surpasses both.
Here’s why the answer is 4 ("Defense of Poesie"):
Sidney's "Defense of Poesie" is one of the earliest major defenses of poetry in the English language, written in response to criticism against imaginative literature.
In this text, Sidney emphasizes the superiority of poetry because of its ability to combine the virtues of history and philosophy, teaching moral lessons while being more engaging and effective.
The other options are unrelated to this passage:
"Preface to Shakespeare" by Samuel Johnson discusses Shakespeare's merits and weaknesses.
"An Essay on Man" by Alexander Pope is a philosophical poem exploring humanity's place in the universe.
"An Essay on Criticism" by Alexander Pope is a poem that discusses literary theory and criticism.
Hence, the correct answer is 4: "Defense of Poesie".
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