Dramatic EssaysJ.M. Dent & Sons, Limited, 1921 - 299 pages |
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Page viii
... tell , Dryden is here shown at his best , though the satires which followed- “ The Medal ” and “ Mac- Flecknoe " —are scarcely less dexterous and effective . To this period also belong his two great theological poems , which are ...
... tell , Dryden is here shown at his best , though the satires which followed- “ The Medal ” and “ Mac- Flecknoe " —are scarcely less dexterous and effective . To this period also belong his two great theological poems , which are ...
Page 18
... tell you , that the unity of place , however it might be practised by them , was never any of their rules : we neither find it in Aristotle , Horace , or any who have written of it , till in our age the French poets first made it a ...
... tell you , that the unity of place , however it might be practised by them , was never any of their rules : we neither find it in Aristotle , Horace , or any who have written of it , till in our age the French poets first made it a ...
Page 23
... telling his own story , which the trusty ' squire is ever to perform for him . So in their love- scenes , of which Eugenius spoke last , the ancients were more hearty , were more talkative : they writ love as it was then the mode to ...
... telling his own story , which the trusty ' squire is ever to perform for him . So in their love- scenes , of which Eugenius spoke last , the ancients were more hearty , were more talkative : they writ love as it was then the mode to ...
Page 39
... tell us frankly your opinion , whether you do not think all writers , both French and English , ought to give place to him . " “ I fear , ” replied Neander , “ that in obeying your commands I shall draw some envy on myself . Besides ...
... tell us frankly your opinion , whether you do not think all writers , both French and English , ought to give place to him . " “ I fear , ” replied Neander , “ that in obeying your commands I shall draw some envy on myself . Besides ...
Page 43
... tell them that humour is the ridiculous extravagance of conversa- tion , wherein one man differs from all others . If then it be common , or communicated to many , how differs it from other men's ? or what indeed causes it to be ...
... tell them that humour is the ridiculous extravagance of conversa- tion , wherein one man differs from all others . If then it be common , or communicated to many , how differs it from other men's ? or what indeed causes it to be ...
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acknowledge action admiration advantage Æneas allowed already ancients answer appear argument audience beauties beginning better betwixt Book cause character comedy common concernment conclude confess critics defend difference drama effect English Essay example excellent expression fancy faults follow forced French give given greater hero heroic Homer honour humour imagination imitation invention Italy Jonson judge judgment kind language Latin learned least leave less lived Lord manners master mean nature never observed opinion Ovid passions perfection performed perhaps persons play pleased plot poem poesy poet poetry present proper prove raised reader reason received represented rest rhyme Roman rules scene seems sense Shakspeare sometimes sound speak stage suppose taken tell things thought tragedy translation true turn verse Virgil virtue whole write written
Popular passages
Page 40 - He is many times flat and 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 ii - WILL BE PLEASED TO SEND FREELY TO ALL APPLICANTS A LIST OF THE PUBLISHED AND PROJECTED VOLUMES TO BE COMPRISED UNDER THE FOLLOWING TWELVE HEADINGS: TRAVEL ^ SCIENCE ^ FICTION THEOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY HISTORY ? CLASSICAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ESSAYS ^ ORATORY POETRY & DRAMA BIOGRAPHY ROMANCE IN TWO STYLES OF BINDING, CLOTH, FLAT BACK, COLOURED TOP, AND LEATHER, ROUND CORNERS, GILT TOP.
Page 42 - Shakespeare was the Homer, or father of our dramatic poets ; Jonson was the Virgil, the pattern of elaborate writing ; I admire him, but I love Shakespeare. To conclude of him ; as he has given us the most correct plays, so in the precepts which he has laid down in his Discoveries, we have as many and profitable rules for perfecting the stage, as any wherewith the French can furnish us.
Page 41 - As for Jonson, to whose character I am now arrived, if we look upon him while he was himself (for his last plays were but his dotages), I think him the most learned and judicious writer which any theatre ever had. He was a most severe judge of himself, as well as others. One cannot say he wanted wit, but rather that he was frugal of it.
Page 32 - Tis true, those beauties of the French poesy are such as will raise perfection higher where it is, but are not sufficient to give it where it is not: they are indeed the beauties of a statue, but not of a man, because not animated with the soul of Poesy, which is imitation of humour and passions...
Page 108 - ... one of the greatest, most noble, and most sublime poems, which either this age or nation has produced.
Page 274 - ... they who think too well of their own performances, are apt to boast in their prefaces how little time their works have cost them ; and what other business of more importance interfered ; but the reader will be as apt to ask the question, why they allowed not a longer time to make their works more perfect ? and why they had so despicable an opinion of their judges, as to thrust their indigested stuff upon them, as if they deserved no better...
Page 38 - English stage. For, if you consider the plots, our own are fuller of variety; if the writing, ours are more quick and fuller of spirit...
Page 41 - Wit and language, and humour also in some measure, we had before him ; but something of art was wanting to the drama till he came. He managed his strength to more advantage than any who preceded him. You seldom find him making love in any of his scenes, or endeavouring to move the passions ; his genius was too sullen and saturnine to do it gracefully, especially when he knew he came after those who had performed both to such a height.
Page 162 - Latin would not appear so shining in the English: and where I have enlarged them, I desire the false critics would not always think that those thoughts are wholly mine, but that either they are secretly in the poet, or may be fairly deduced from him...