Biographical Sketches of Eminent British Poets: Chronologically Arranged from Chaucer to Burns, with Criticisms on Their Work, Selected from the Most Distinguished WritersA. Thom & Sons, 1857 - 508 pages |
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Page 2
... interesting sketch of the leading events in Chaucer's life , from which the following additional information respecting him is extracted : - " The opening of the reign of Richard II . was unpro- pitious to Chaucer . He became involved ...
... interesting sketch of the leading events in Chaucer's life , from which the following additional information respecting him is extracted : - " The opening of the reign of Richard II . was unpro- pitious to Chaucer . He became involved ...
Page 11
... interesting articles on our early poetical literature . Of the critics we have enumerated , the greatest benefactor to the fame of Chaucer was Tyrwhitt . The reader will find , in that learned and interesting work a large amount of ...
... interesting articles on our early poetical literature . Of the critics we have enumerated , the greatest benefactor to the fame of Chaucer was Tyrwhitt . The reader will find , in that learned and interesting work a large amount of ...
Page 14
... interesting summary of the leading events in Surrey's public career , from which we transcribe the following extracts : - " In the year of his marriage , he was one of the nobles who accompanied Henry VIII . to his interview with the ...
... interesting summary of the leading events in Surrey's public career , from which we transcribe the following extracts : - " In the year of his marriage , he was one of the nobles who accompanied Henry VIII . to his interview with the ...
Page 26
... interesting life of that great man ; but we take the following account of the memorable event from " The Retrospective Review . " It is recorded of him that " he entreated the spectators , that if any disability of voice or dejection of ...
... interesting life of that great man ; but we take the following account of the memorable event from " The Retrospective Review . " It is recorded of him that " he entreated the spectators , that if any disability of voice or dejection of ...
Page 30
... interesting disquisition has not indulged in that excessive praise , which is a defect in the majority of the biographical memoirs of Raleigh . We have space only for a few remarks on the circumstances that have rendered his history so ...
... interesting disquisition has not indulged in that excessive praise , which is a defect in the majority of the biographical memoirs of Raleigh . We have space only for a few remarks on the circumstances that have rendered his history so ...
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Common terms and phrases
Addison admired afterwards Allan Ramsay amiable appeared Beaumont and Fletcher beautiful Ben Jonson biographers born celebrated character Chaucer church composed composition Cowper critical Cyclopedia death delight diction died distinguished dramatic Dryden Earl Edinburgh Edinburgh Review edition elegance eminent England English language English Poetry English poets essays excellence Faerie Queene fame fancy father favour feeling Fletcher friends genius Goldsmith heart honour humour interesting Ireland Johnson labours language learned literary literature lived London Lord memoir ment merits Milton mind moral muse nature never observes Paradise Lost period poem poet's poetical poetry political Pope popular possessed praise productions prose published racter reader received religious remarkable Review sacred Sacred Poets satire says selected Shakspeare Sir Walter Sir Walter Scott sketch specimens Spenser spirit style sweet Swift talents taste thought tion verse Westminster Abbey Westminster School writer written wrote young
Popular passages
Page 60 - I cannot say he is everywhere alike; were he so, I should do him injury to compare him with the greatest of mankind. He is many times flat, insipid ; his comic wit degenerating into clenches, his serious swelling into bombast. But he is always great when some great occasion is presented to him...
Page 361 - tis hard to combat, learns to fly! For him no wretches, born to work and weep, Explore the mine, or tempt the dangerous deep; No surly porter stands in guilty state, To spurn imploring famine from the gate...
Page 460 - Twas thine own genius gave the final blow, And help'd to plant the wound that laid thee low • So the struck eagle, stretch'd upon the plain, No more through rolling clouds to soar again, View'd his own feather on the fatal dart, And wing'd the shaft that...
Page 60 - All the images of nature were still present to him, and he drew them not laboriously but luckily: when he describes anything you more than see it, you feel it too. Those who accuse him to have wanted learning, give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learned; he needed not the spectacles of books to read Nature; he looked inwards, and found her there.
Page 361 - And thou, sweet Poetry, thou loveliest maid, Still first to fly where sensual joys invade; Unfit in these degenerate times of shame To catch the heart, or strike for honest fame; Dear charming nymph, neglected and decried, My shame in crowds, my solitary pride; Thou source of all my bliss, and all my woe, That found'st me poor at first, and keep'st me so; Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel, Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee well!
Page 312 - Is not a patron, My Lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help?
Page 281 - If the flights of Dryden therefore, are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and constant. Dryden often surpasses expectation, and Pope never falls below it. Dryden is read with frequent astonishment, and Pope with perpetual delight.
Page 333 - Perhaps he was the most learned man in Europe. He was equally acquainted with the elegant and profound parts of science, and that not superficially, but thoroughly. He knew every branch of history, both natural and civil; had read all the original historians of England, France, and Italy; and was a great antiquarian. Criticism, metaphysics, morals, politics, made a principal part of his study; voyages and travels of all sorts were his favourite amusements; and he had a fine taste in painting, prints,...
Page 184 - Who now reads Cowley ? if he pleases yet, His moral pleases, not his pointed wit: Forgot his Epic, nay Pindaric art, But still I love the language of his heart.
Page 218 - So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; He is a great observer and he looks Quite through the deeds of men; he loves no plays, As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music; Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit That could be moved to smile at any thing.