In “To Penshurst,” Jonson compliments his patron, Sir Robert Sidney, by praising his house and estate. It begins by favorably contrasting Penshurst with the showier houses popular with Sidney's contemporaries. Although these houses are more elegantly planned, the joy they offer their lords is ultimately far more superficial than what Sidney gets from the fertility of his land and his place as a beloved member of both his family and the broader community.
The poem goes on to praise the estate in more detail. Roughly the first half of the poem is devoted to descriptions of Sidney’s lands, especially emphasizing the many animals, fish, and fruiting trees that populate the estate. These creatures willingly give themselves up to Sidney, in a sign not only of the land’s quality, but also the lord’s true nobility. The second half of the poem turns to the Sidneys’ hospitality, praising the lord and lady for making everyone from the neighbors, to the King, to the poet himself, feel at home in Penshurst. The poem concludes by praising Sidney’s family. Jonson cites their goodness as the final proof that Sidney truly belongs on his estate, unlike those lords who merely build superficial houses to try to prove their own nobility.
