preface biograpical and critical, to the works of the english poets |
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Page 8
The glare of his general character diffused itself upon his writings ; the
compofitions of a man whose name was heard so often , were certain of attention
, and from many readers certain of applause . This blaze of reputation is not yet
quite ...
The glare of his general character diffused itself upon his writings ; the
compofitions of a man whose name was heard so often , were certain of attention
, and from many readers certain of applause . This blaze of reputation is not yet
quite ...
Page 9
Having fixed his attention on Cowley as a model , he has attempted in some fort
to rival him , and has written a Hymn to Darkness , evidently as a counter - part to
Cowley's Hymn to Light . FAS This thynin seems to be his best per-formance ...
Having fixed his attention on Cowley as a model , he has attempted in some fort
to rival him , and has written a Hymn to Darkness , evidently as a counter - part to
Cowley's Hymn to Light . FAS This thynin seems to be his best per-formance ...
Page 3
... the same faculty ; that the actor must have a pliancy of mien , a flexibility of
countenance , and a variety of tones , ' which the poet may be easily supposed to
want ; or that the attention of the poct and the player have been differently
cmployed ...
... the same faculty ; that the actor must have a pliancy of mien , a flexibility of
countenance , and a variety of tones , ' which the poet may be easily supposed to
want ; or that the attention of the poct and the player have been differently
cmployed ...
Page 1
... contriving expedients , and combating opposition , and exposed to the
viciffitudes of advancement and degradation : but in this collection poetical merit
is the claim to attention ; and the account which is here to be expected : may
properly be ...
... contriving expedients , and combating opposition , and exposed to the
viciffitudes of advancement and degradation : but in this collection poetical merit
is the claim to attention ; and the account which is here to be expected : may
properly be ...
Page 3
His reputation was confined to his friends and to the university ; till about 1703 he
extended it to a wider circle by the Splendid Shilling , which struck the publick
attention with a mode of writing new and unexpected . This performance raised ...
His reputation was confined to his friends and to the university ; till about 1703 he
extended it to a wider circle by the Splendid Shilling , which struck the publick
attention with a mode of writing new and unexpected . This performance raised ...
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Preface Biograpical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets Samuel Johnson No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Addiſon admire afterwards againſt appears attention beauties became becauſe beſt better born brought called character collection College common compoſition conſidered court death deſign died duke earl eaſily elegance excellence expected favour firſt fome formed French gave genius give given hand himſelf Hiſtory honour hope houſe imitation Italy judge judgement kind king known language laſt learned leaſt leſs lines living London lord maſter mean mentioned mind moſt muſt nature never NIHIL party performance perhaps Philips play pleaſed pleaſure poem poet poetry Pope praiſe preſent produced publick publiſhed reaſon received relates remarkable returned ſaid ſame ſays ſeems ſeveral ſhall ſhould Smith ſome ſtill ſtudies ſubject ſuch ſuppoſed theſe thing thoſe thought tion tranſlated turns uſe verſe whoſe writings written wrote
Popular passages
Page 14 - Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer; Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike, Just hint a fault and hesitate dislike; Alike...
Page 62 - James, whose skill in physic will be long remembered, and with David Garrick, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend ; but what are the hopes of man ! I am...
Page 24 - Blank verse, left merely to its numbers, has little operation either on the ear or mind ; it can hardly support itself without bold figures and striking images.
Page 62 - His studies had been so various, that I am not able to name a man of equal knowledge. His acquaintance with books was great; and what he did not immediately know, he could at least tell where to find.
Page 18 - The lines are in themselves not perfect, for most of the words thus artfully opposed are to be understood simply on one side of the comparison, and metaphorically on the other ; and if there be any language which does not express intellectual operations by material images, into that language they cannot be translated.
Page 24 - Horace's wit and Virgil's state He did not steal, but emulate, And when he would like them appear, Their garb, but not their clothes, did wear...
Page 1 - Having been compelled by his necessities to contract debts, and hunted, as is supposed, by the terriers of the law, he retired to a publick house on Tower-hill, where he is said to have died of want ; or, as it is related by one of his biographers, by swallowing, after a long fast, a piece of bread which charity had supplied. He went out, as is reported, almost naked, in the rage of hunger, and, finding a gentleman in a neighbouring coffeehouse, asked him for a shilling.
Page 14 - That fervile path thou nobly doft decline, "• Of tracing word by word, and line by line. " Thofe are the labour'd births of...
Bibliographic information
| Title | preface biograpical and critical, to the works of the english poets |
| Author | samuel johnson |
| Published | 1779 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 31 Jul 2007 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |