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Mechanical Toys: Sir Philip Sidney and the Lyric

In a tone both playful and serious, this essay explores Sidney’s use of the term “toy” to describe the purpose, artfulness, and aesthetic force of his lyric poems through an extended discussion of the singing match between Lalus and Dorus in the First Eclogues and the double sestina of Strephon and Klaius. A careful consideration of the technical virtuosity of Sidney’s verse and its possible provenance leads to an argument for the lyric’s distinctive modes of evoking virtue and excellence.