Lives of the English Poets: Cowley-DrydenClarendon Press, 1905 - English poetry |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 100
Page xxv
... POETS . BY SAMUEL JOHNSON . London . 1779-81 , 12m0 . 10 vols . ) the advertisement is dated March 15 , 1779 . [ Mr. Edward Dilly , the book- seller , writing to Boswell on Sept. 26 , 1777 , gives the following account of ' this plan so ...
... POETS . BY SAMUEL JOHNSON . London . 1779-81 , 12m0 . 10 vols . ) the advertisement is dated March 15 , 1779 . [ Mr. Edward Dilly , the book- seller , writing to Boswell on Sept. 26 , 1777 , gives the following account of ' this plan so ...
Page xxvi
... Poets for revising the last edition of that work . ' It is dated Feb. 19 , 1783. Underneath , in Johnson's autograph , are these words : " It is great impudence to put Johnson's Poets on the back of books which Johnson neither ...
... Poets for revising the last edition of that work . ' It is dated Feb. 19 , 1783. Underneath , in Johnson's autograph , are these words : " It is great impudence to put Johnson's Poets on the back of books which Johnson neither ...
Page 1
... poem , ab- surdly praises Sprat . Addressing Cowley he says : - ' Blest man ! who now shalt be for ever known In Sprat's successful labours and thy own . ' Addison's Works , i . 24 . LIVES OF POETS . I B ' What literary man has not re ...
... poem , ab- surdly praises Sprat . Addressing Cowley he says : - ' Blest man ! who now shalt be for ever known In Sprat's successful labours and thy own . ' Addison's Works , i . 24 . LIVES OF POETS . I B ' What literary man has not re ...
Page 12
... Poets , Cowley and Milton 3 , of dissimilar genius , of Opposite principles , but concurring in the cultivation of Latin poetry , in which the English , till their works and May's poem appeared , seemed unable to contest the palm with ...
... Poets , Cowley and Milton 3 , of dissimilar genius , of Opposite principles , but concurring in the cultivation of Latin poetry , in which the English , till their works and May's poem appeared , seemed unable to contest the palm with ...
Page 19
... poets , of whom in a criticism on the works of Cowley it is not improper to give some account 1 . Etre The metaphysical poets were men of learning , and to shew 51 their learning was their whole endeavour ; but , unluckily resolv he ing ...
... poets , of whom in a criticism on the works of Cowley it is not improper to give some account 1 . Etre The metaphysical poets were men of learning , and to shew 51 their learning was their whole endeavour ; but , unluckily resolv he ing ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Addison admired Aeneid afterwards Anec Ante appears Aubrey Aubrey's Brief Lives Biog blank verse Boswell's Johnson Brief Lives Butler Charles Clarendon Cowley's criticism Cromwell daughter death delight Denham describes Diary Donne Duke Earl edition elegance English Essay excellence father friends genius heroick Hist honour HORACE WALPOLE Hudibras Hurd's Cowley images imitation John John Milton King labour language Latin learned Letters lines Lord Lycidas Malone's Dryden Masson's Milton metaphysical poets Milton's Poems mind Misc nature never NIHIL numbers Otway Oxon Paradise Lost Paradise Regained parliament passage perhaps Phillips Pindar play poetical poetry POPE Pope's praise Preface publick published quoted reader rhyme Rochester says seems sentiments shew Southey's Cowper Spectator Sprat style thing thou thought tion translation verse viii Virgil Waller Warton words write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 163 - In this poem there is no nature, for there is no truth ; there is no art, for there is nothing new. Its form is that of a pastoral ; easy, vulgar, and therefore disgusting ; whatever images it can supply are long ago exhausted ; and its inherent improbability always forces dissatisfaction on the mind.
Page 276 - ... bowers to lay me down ; To husband out life's taper at the close. And keep the flame from wasting by repose. I still had hopes, for pride attends us still, Amidst the swains to show my...
Page 20 - If by a more noble and more adequate conception that be considered as wit which is at once natural and new, that which, though not obvious, is, upon its first production, acknowledged to be just...
Page 78 - 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 100 - Whether we provide for action or conversation, whether we wish to be useful or pleasing, the first requisite is the religious and moral knowledge of right and wrong ; the next is an acquaintance with the history of mankind, and with those examples which may be said to embody truth, and prove by events the reasonableness of opinions. Prudence and Justice are virtues and excellencies of all times and of all places; we are perpetually moralists, but we are geometricians only by chance.
Page 88 - This he steadily denies, and it was apparently not true ; but it seems plain, from his own verses to Diodati, that he had incurred
Page 292 - Of sentiments purely religious, it will be found that the most simple expression is the most sublime. Poetry loses its lustre and its power, because it is applied to the decoration of something more excellent than itself.
Page 136 - I have a particular reason," says he, " to remember ; for whereas I had the perusal of it " from the very beginning, for some years, as I " went from time to time to visit him, in parcels of " ten, twenty, or thirty verses at a time (which, " being written by whatever hand came next, might " possibly want correction as to the orthography
Page 440 - From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began : When Nature underneath a heap Of jarring atoms lay, And could not heave her head, The tuneful voice was heard from high, Arise, ye more than dead.