Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets, Volume 1J. Nichols, 1779 - English poetry |
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Page 7
... continued his ftudies with great intenseness ; for he is faid to have written , while he was yet a young ftu- dent , the greater part of his Davideis ; B 4 a work a work of which the materials could not have been COWLEY . 7.
... continued his ftudies with great intenseness ; for he is faid to have written , while he was yet a young ftu- dent , the greater part of his Davideis ; B 4 a work a work of which the materials could not have been COWLEY . 7.
Page 96
... Davideis fup- ply , were at that time acceffions to English literature , and fhew fuch skill as raises our wish for more examples . The lines from Jersey are a very cu- rious and pleafing fpecimen of the fami- liar defcending to the ...
... Davideis fup- ply , were at that time acceffions to English literature , and fhew fuch skill as raises our wish for more examples . The lines from Jersey are a very cu- rious and pleafing fpecimen of the fami- liar defcending to the ...
Page 123
... Davideis now remains to be con- fidered ; a poem which the author de- figned to have extended to twelve books , merely , as he makes no , fcruple of declaring , because the Eneid had that number ; but he had leifure or per feverance ...
... Davideis now remains to be con- fidered ; a poem which the author de- figned to have extended to twelve books , merely , as he makes no , fcruple of declaring , because the Eneid had that number ; but he had leifure or per feverance ...
Page 124
... Davideis no mention is made ; it never appears in books , nor emerges in converfation . By the Spec- tator it has once been quoted , and by Rymer it has once been praised ; nor do I recollect much other notice from its publication till ...
... Davideis no mention is made ; it never appears in books , nor emerges in converfation . By the Spec- tator it has once been quoted , and by Rymer it has once been praised ; nor do I recollect much other notice from its publication till ...
Page 130
... Davideis fupplies . One of the great fources of poetical delight is defcription , or the power of prefenting pictures to the mind . Cow- ley gives inferences inftead of images , and fhews not what may be supposed to have been seen , but ...
... Davideis fupplies . One of the great fources of poetical delight is defcription , or the power of prefenting pictures to the mind . Cow- ley gives inferences inftead of images , and fhews not what may be supposed to have been seen , but ...
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Common terms and phrases
againſt allufions Anacreon anſwered becauſe Clarendon compofitions conceits confidered converfation copacy Cowley Cowley's Cromwel Davideis defcription deferved defire delight diction diſcovered Donne doth Engliſh expreffions fafe faid fame fatire fays fecond feems fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould filk fince fion firft firſt fome fomething fometimes foon ftile ftill ftudies fubject fuch fuffered fufficiently fupply fuppofes fure furpriſed fyllables Hampden heroick himſelf houſe itſelf juft king known lady laft laſt leaft learning lefs lines loft lord lord Conway meaſure metaphyfical poets Milton mind moft moſt muft muſt nature never numbers obferved occafion paffage parliament perufal Petrarch Pindar pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poetical poetry poets praife praiſe prefent promiſe publiſhed purpoſe racter reafon reprefented ſeems ſhe ſome Sprat Taffo thee thefe themſelves theſe thing thofe thoſe thou thought thouſand tion ufed uſed verfe verfification verſes Waller whofe whoſe writing
Popular passages
Page 38 - If the father of criticism has rightly denominated poetry, an imitative art, these writers will, without great wrong, lose their right to the name of poets for they cannot be said to have imitated any thing; they neither copied nature nor life; neither painted the forms of matter, nor represented the operations of intellect.
Page 4 - The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction.
Page 59 - On a round ball A workman that hath copies by, can lay An Europe, Afric, and an Asia, And quickly make that, which was nothing, all...
Page 113 - ... running all beside, Make a long row of goodly pride, Figures, conceits, raptures, and sentences, In a well-worded dress, And innocent loves, and pleasant truths, and useful lies, In all their gaudy liveries.
Page 75 - The essence of poetry is invention; such invention as, by producing something unexpected, surprises and delights. The topics of devotion are few, and being few are universally known ; but, few as they are, they can be made no more ; they can receive no grace from novelty of sentiment, and very little from novelty of expression.
Page 32 - He was now,' says the courtly Sprat, 'weary of the vexations and formalities of an active condition. He had been perplexed with a long compliance to foreign manners. He was satiated with the arts of a court; which sort of life, though his virtue made it innocent to him, yet nothing could make it quiet.
Page 104 - The compositions are such as might have been written for penance by a hermit, or for hire by a philosophical rhymer who had only heard of another sex...
Page 161 - He doubtless praised some whom he would have been afraid to marry, and perhaps married one whom he would have been ashamed to praise. Many qualities contribute to domestic happiness, upon which poetry has no colours to bestow ; and many airs and sallies may delight imagination, which he who flatters them never can approve.
Page 145 - tis imposture all; And as no chemic yet the elixir got, But glorifies his pregnant pot If by the way to him befall Some odoriferous thing, or medicinal, So lovers dream a rich and long delight, But get a winter-seeming summer's night.