Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney was a poet, soldier, and courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I. He is perhaps the most famous and notable member of the Sidney family, and was celebrated long after his death in 1586 for his involvement in English culture and politics. Sidney was often considered an exemplar of the older chivalric order in England, and hailed as an ideal participant in the development of the English nation. While he does not appear explicitly in "To Penshurst," Jonson alludes to his accomplishments throughout the poem and uses him to idealize the Sidney family more generally.

Robert Sidney

Robert Sidney was Philip Sidney's younger brother, and at the time Jonson was writing, the lord of Penshurst. Robert Sidney was a notable statesman in the English court, as well as a patron for the arts. "To Penshurst" is written in praise of Robert Sidney and the rest...