Golden and the Brazen World

The Golden and the Brazen World: Papers in Literature and History, 1650–1800 examines the evolving relationship between literature and history, inspired by Sir Philip Sidney's Defence of Poetry. Sidney's distinction between poetry's "golden world," which idealizes and conveys moral truths, and history's "brazen world," focused on detailed but often confusing facts, frames the central theme. By the 18th century, this rivalry had softened into a collaborative exchange, with poets drawing on historical subjects for inspiration and historians using narrative techniques to enhance their work. This interdisciplinary dialogue reflects their shared roots in moral philosophy and their complementary efforts to illuminate human experience.

The essays in this collection, based on lectures from the Clark Library, showcase this intersection through specific case studies. Topics range from Andrew Marvell’s The First Anniversary and its political-poetic implications to re-evaluations of John Dryden’s Absalom and Achitophel. Contributions also include Susan Staves' exploration of legal history in 18th-century marriage and James Chandler's analysis of Edmund Burke’s influence on Wordsworth. Together, these essays reveal how literature and history shape and inform each other, highlighting their combined potential to enrich intellectual and cultural understanding.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.