The Lives of the Most Celebrated English Poets, with Criticisms. Extracted from D. JohnsonGalignani, 1805 - 312 pages |
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Page 10
... retirement , or under the shelter of academic bowers , but amidst inconvenience and distraction , in sickness and in sorrow . The sorrow to which he here alludes is probably that which he felt for the loss of his wife , who died on the ...
... retirement , or under the shelter of academic bowers , but amidst inconvenience and distraction , in sickness and in sorrow . The sorrow to which he here alludes is probably that which he felt for the loss of his wife , who died on the ...
Page 25
... retirement he might take occasion of giving notice of the posture of things in this country . Soon after his ... retired into Kent to gather plants ; but his inclination for poetry soon absorbed all other considerations , and he ...
... retirement he might take occasion of giving notice of the posture of things in this country . Soon after his ... retired into Kent to gather plants ; but his inclination for poetry soon absorbed all other considerations , and he ...
Page 26
... retirement once more came upon him , and he settled at Chertsey in Surrey . His retreat was at first but slenderly accommodated , yet he soon obtained by the Earl of St. Alban's and the Duke of Buckingham such a lease of the Queen's ...
... retirement once more came upon him , and he settled at Chertsey in Surrey . His retreat was at first but slenderly accommodated , yet he soon obtained by the Earl of St. Alban's and the Duke of Buckingham such a lease of the Queen's ...
Page 45
... retired to an estate . He married a gentlewoman of the name of Caston , a Welch family , by whom he had two sons , John the poet , and Christopher who studied the law ; and likewise a daughter , Anne . John , the poet , was born in his ...
... retired to an estate . He married a gentlewoman of the name of Caston , a Welch family , by whom he had two sons , John the poet , and Christopher who studied the law ; and likewise a daughter , Anne . John , the poet , was born in his ...
Page 62
... retire harrassed and overburdened , and look elsewhere for recreation ; we desert our master , and seek for companions . Another inconvenience of Milton's design is , that it requires the description of what cannot be described , the ...
... retire harrassed and overburdened , and look elsewhere for recreation ; we desert our master , and seek for companions . Another inconvenience of Milton's design is , that it requires the description of what cannot be described , the ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Addison ¯neid afterwards appeared became Ben Jonson blank verse born called character church College comedy compositions court Cowley criticism daughter death delight diction died dramatic Dryden Dunciad Earl elegance eminent English English poetry Essay esteem excellence father favour friends friendship gave genius guineas honour Hudibras hundred pounds Iliad images Ireland JOHN MILTON Johnson kind King Kit-cat Club labour language Latin learning lived London Lord manner master Milton mind mother nature never numbers occasion Oxford Oxfordshire Paradise Lost performance perhaps pieces play poem poet poetical poetry Pope praise Prior produced published Queen received reputation retired returned rhyme satire Savage says seems sent sentiments Shakespeare shew sometimes soon Spenser stage supposed Swift thought tion told tragedy translated verse versification Waller Westminster Abbey Whigs William Davenant William Shakespeare Winchester College write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 291 - I loved the man, and do honour his memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any. He was (indeed) honest, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent phantasy, brave notions, and gentle expressions...
Page 114 - Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.
Page 63 - But of all the borrowers from Homer, Milton is perhaps the least indebted. He was naturally a thinker for himself, confident of his own abilities, and disdainful of help or hindrance : he did not refuse admission to the thoughts or images of his predecessors, but he did not seek them.
Page 252 - In the character of his Elegy I rejoice to concur with the common reader; for by the common sense of readers uncorrupted with literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtilty and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours.
Page 78 - Every thing is excused by the play of images and the spriteliness of expression. Though all is easy, nothing is feeble; though all seems careless, there is nothing harsh; and though since his earlier works more than a century has passed they have nothing yet uncouth or obsolete.
Page 309 - For whilst, to the shame of slow-endeavouring art, Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart Hath, from the leaves of thy unvalued book, Those Delphic lines with deep impression took; Then thou, our fancy of itself bereaving, Dost make us marble, with too much conceiving; And, so sepulchred, in such pomp dost lie, That kings for such a tomb would wish to die.
Page 78 - They have not the formality of a settled style, in which the first half of the sentence betrays the other. The clauses are never balanced, nor the periods modelled; every word seems to drop by chance, though it falls into its proper place.
Page 79 - The power that predominated in his intellectual operations was rather strong reason than quick sensibility. Upon all occasions that were presented, he studied rather than felt, and produced sentiments not such as nature enforces, but meditation supplies.
Page 112 - Cato' it has been not unjustly determined, that it is rather a poem in dialogue than a drama, rather a succession of just sentiments in elegant language, than a representation of natural affections, or of any state probable or possible in human life. Nothing here " excites or assuages emotion :" here is " no magical power of raising fantastic terror or wild anxiety.
Page 132 - Looking tranquillity ! It strikes an awe And terror on my aching sight ; the tombs And monumental caves of death look cold, And shoot a chillness to my trembling heart. Give me thy hand, and let me hear thy voice; Nay, quickly speak to me, and let me hear Thy voice — my own affrights me with its echoes.