The works of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland. With prefaces, biographical and critical, by S. Johnson, Volume 1 |
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Page 237
Either by yielding to him the greatest part of what he contends for , which “
consists in this , that the púbas , i . e . the design and conduct of it , is more “
conducing in the Greeks to those ends of tragedy , which Aristotle and he “
propose ...
Either by yielding to him the greatest part of what he contends for , which “
consists in this , that the púbas , i . e . the design and conduct of it , is more “
conducing in the Greeks to those ends of tragedy , which Aristotle and he “
propose ...
Page 238
And if we should grant that the Greeks performed this better , perhaps it “ may
admit of dispute , whether pity and rerror are either the prime , or at “ feast the
only end of tragedy . “ ' Tis not enough that Aristotle has said so ; for Aristotle
drew his ...
And if we should grant that the Greeks performed this better , perhaps it “ may
admit of dispute , whether pity and rerror are either the prime , or at “ feast the
only end of tragedy . “ ' Tis not enough that Aristotle has said so ; for Aristotle
drew his ...
Page 239
The pity , which the poet is to labour for , is for the criminal , not for those « or him
whom he has murdered , or who have been the occasion of the tragedy . “ The
terror is likewise in the punishment of the same criminal ; who , if “ he be ...
The pity , which the poet is to labour for , is for the criminal , not for those « or him
whom he has murdered , or who have been the occasion of the tragedy . “ The
terror is likewise in the punishment of the same criminal ; who , if “ he be ...
Page 312
But that , when an author “ writes a tragedy , who knows he has neither genius
nor judgment , he has " recourse to the making a party , and he endeavours to
make up in in" dustry what is wanting in talent , and to supply by poetical craft the
...
But that , when an author “ writes a tragedy , who knows he has neither genius
nor judgment , he has " recourse to the making a party , and he endeavours to
make up in in" dustry what is wanting in talent , and to supply by poetical craft the
...
Page 594
He left behind him the tragedy of “ Coriolanus , ” which was , by the zeal of his
patroi Sir George Lyttleton , brought upon the stage for the benefit of his family ,
and recommended by a Prologue , which Quin , who had long lived with
Thomson in ...
He left behind him the tragedy of “ Coriolanus , ” which was , by the zeal of his
patroi Sir George Lyttleton , brought upon the stage for the benefit of his family ,
and recommended by a Prologue , which Quin , who had long lived with
Thomson in ...
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Common terms and phrases
Addison afterwards appears attention believe called character common considered continued conversation criticism death delight desire died discovered Dryden easily effect elegance English equal excellence expected expression favour formed friends gave genius give given hand honour hope imagination Italy kind King knowledge known Lady language learning least less letter lines lived Lord manner means mentioned Milton mind nature never night numbers observed obtained occasion once opinion original passed performance perhaps person play pleased pleasure poem poet poetical poetry Pope pounds praise present probably produced published reader reason received remarks reputation Savage says seems sent shew sometimes soon success sufficient supposed tell thing thought tion told tragedy translation true verses virtue whole write written wrote Young
Popular passages
Page 562 - The sound must seem an echo to the sense : Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows ; But when loud surges lash the sounding shore, The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar : When Ajax strives some rock's vast- weight to throw, The line too labours, and the words move slow ; Not so, when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er th' unbending corn, and skims along the main.
Page 44 - O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream My great example, as it is my theme! Though deep, yet clear, though gentle, yet not dull, Strong without rage, without o'er-flowing full.
Page 55 - Memory and her siren daughters, but by devout prayer to that eternal Spirit, who can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and sends out his seraphim, with the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases.
Page 673 - I rejoice to concur with the common reader ; for by the common sense of readers, uncorrupted with literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtility and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours. The Churchyard abounds with images which find a mirror in every mind, and with sentiments to which every bosom returns an echo. The four stanzas beginning, "Yet even these bones...
Page 204 - 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. Nothing is cold or languid : the whole is airy, animated, and vigorous; what is little, is gay ; what is great, is splendid.
Page 12 - Yet great labour, directed by great abilities, is never wholly lost: if they frequently threw away their wit upon false conceits, they likewise sometimes struck out unexpected truth; if their conceits were far-fetched, they were often worth the carriage. To write on their plan, it was at least necessary to read and think.
Page 557 - His declaration that his care for his works ceased at their publication, was not strictly true. His parental attention never abandoned them ; what he found amiss in the first edition, he silently corrected in those that followed. He appears to have revised the 'Iliad...
Page 5 - Let him for succour sue from place to place, Torn from his subjects, and his son's embrace. First let him see his friends in battle slain, And their untimely fate lament in vain: And when at length the cruel war shall cease, On hard conditions may he buy his peace: Nor let him then enjoy supreme command ; But fall, untimely, by some hostile hand, And lie unburied on the barren sand!
Page 636 - Insatiate Archer! could not one suffice? Thy shaft flew thrice ; and thrice my peace was slain ; And thrice, ere thrice yon moon had fill'd her horn.
Page 522 - A grotto is not often the wish or pleasure of an Englishman, who has more frequent need to solicit than exclude the sun; but Pope's excavation was requisite as an entrance to his garden, and, as some men try to be proud of their defects, he extracted an ornament from an inconvenience, and vanity produced a grotto where necessity enforced a passage.