Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets, Volume 1J. Nichols, 1779 - English poetry |
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Page 113
... defcription is destroyed by a scrupulous enumeration ; and the force of metaphors is loft , when the mind by the mention of particulars is turned more upon the original than the fecondary fenfe , more upon that from which the ...
... defcription is destroyed by a scrupulous enumeration ; and the force of metaphors is loft , when the mind by the mention of particulars is turned more upon the original than the fecondary fenfe , more upon that from which the ...
Page 130
... 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 what thoughts the fight might have fuggefted . When Virgil ...
... 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 what thoughts the fight might have fuggefted . When Virgil ...
Page 141
... defcription of Heaven , in which the different manner of the two writers is fufficiently difcernible . Cowley's is fcarcely defcription , unlefs it be poffible to defcribe by negatives ; for he tells us only what there is not in heaven ...
... defcription of Heaven , in which the different manner of the two writers is fufficiently difcernible . Cowley's is fcarcely defcription , unlefs it be poffible to defcribe by negatives ; for he tells us only what there is not in heaven ...
Page 142
... defcription affords some reason for Rhymer's cenfure . He fays of the Su- preme Being , Hà fotto i piedi e fato e la natura ' Miniftri humili , e'l moto , e chi'l mifura . The fecond line has in it more of pe- dantry than perhaps can be ...
... defcription affords some reason for Rhymer's cenfure . He fays of the Su- preme Being , Hà fotto i piedi e fato e la natura ' Miniftri humili , e'l moto , e chi'l mifura . The fecond line has in it more of pe- dantry than perhaps can be ...
Page 161
... defcription of Heaven , in which the different manner of the two writers is fufficiently difcernible . Cowley's is fcarcely defcription , unless it be poffible to describe by negatives ; for he tells us only what there is not in heaven ...
... defcription of Heaven , in which the different manner of the two writers is fufficiently difcernible . Cowley's is fcarcely defcription , unless it be poffible to describe by negatives ; for he tells us only what there is not in heaven ...
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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.