Biographia Literaria: Or, Biographical Sketches of My Literary Life and Opinions, Volumes 1-2 |
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Page 24
... produce an uneasy state of feeling , an involuntary sense of fear , from which nature has no means of res- cuing herself but by anger . Experience informs us , that the first defence of weak minds is to recriminate . " There's no ...
... produce an uneasy state of feeling , an involuntary sense of fear , from which nature has no means of res- cuing herself but by anger . Experience informs us , that the first defence of weak minds is to recriminate . " There's no ...
Page 29
... produced other and more lamentable effects in the world of letters , and such as are abundant to explain , though by ... produce something , which , if not sense , will be so like it as to do as well . Perhaps better ; for it spares the ...
... produced other and more lamentable effects in the world of letters , and such as are abundant to explain , though by ... produce something , which , if not sense , will be so like it as to do as well . Perhaps better ; for it spares the ...
Page 41
... produce an increase of sci- olists , and sciolism brings with it petulance and presumption . In times of old , books were as religious oracles ; as literature advan- ced , they next became venerable preceptors ; they then descended to ...
... produce an increase of sci- olists , and sciolism brings with it petulance and presumption . In times of old , books were as religious oracles ; as literature advan- ced , they next became venerable preceptors ; they then descended to ...
Page 47
... produce on those of the same age with him- self , especially on those of similar pursuits and congenial minds . For many years , my opportunities of intercourse with Mr. Southey have been rare , and at long in- tervals ; but I dwell ...
... produce on those of the same age with him- self , especially on those of similar pursuits and congenial minds . For many years , my opportunities of intercourse with Mr. Southey have been rare , and at long in- tervals ; but I dwell ...
Page 54
... produced on my mind , by his recitation of a manuscript poem , which still remains unpublished , but of which the stanza , and tone of style , were the same as those of the " Female Vagrant , " as originally printed in the first volume ...
... produced on my mind , by his recitation of a manuscript poem , which still remains unpublished , but of which the stanza , and tone of style , were the same as those of the " Female Vagrant , " as originally printed in the first volume ...
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admiration appear Aristotle beauty blank verse cause character common compositions criticism DANE deemed defects diction distinct effect Elbe English equally excellence excitement existence express faculty fancy feelings former French genius German German language Greek ground Hamburg heart honour human idea images imagination imitation instance intellectual intelligible interest jacobinism judgment Klopstock knowledge language latter least less lines literary Lyrical Ballads mallem meaning metaphysics metre Milton mind mode moral natural philosophy nature never notions object once opinions original passage passion perhaps person philosophical Plato pleasure Plotinus poem poet poetic poetry possible present principles prose Ratzeburg reader reason rhyme scarcely sensation sense Shakspeare sonnet sophism soul Spinoza spirit stanzas style supposed Synesius taste thing thou thought tion true truth Venus and Adonis verse whole words Wordsworth writer
Popular passages
Page 254 - While he was talking thus, the lonely place, The old Man's shape, and speech, all troubled me: In my mind's eye I seemed to see him pace About the weary moors continually, Wandering about alone and silently. While I these thoughts within myself pursued, He, having made a pause, the same discourse renewed.
Page 274 - Ah ! then if mine had been the painter's hand, To express what then I saw ; and add the gleam, The light that never was, on sea or land, The consecration, and the poet's dream...
Page 206 - At her feet he bowed he fell, he lay down at her feet he bowed, he fell where he bowed, there he fell down dead...
Page 276 - Not for these I raise The song of thanks and praise : But for those obstinate questionings Of sense and outward things, Fallings from us, vanishings ; Blank misgivings of a creature Moving about in worlds not realized ; High instincts before which our mortal nature Did tremble like a guilty thing surprised...
Page 132 - Keen Pangs of Love, awakening as a babe Turbulent, with an outcry in the heart ; And Fears self-willed, that shunned the eye of Hope; And Hope that scarce would know itself from Fear ; Sense of past Youth, and Manhood come in vain, And Genius given, and Knowledge won in vain...
Page 274 - By sheddings from the pinal umbrage tinged Perennially — beneath whose sable roof Of boughs, as if for festal purpose decked With unrejoicing berries, ghostly shapes May meet at noontide — FEAR and trembling HOPE, SILENCE and FORESIGHT— DEATH, the skeleton, And TIME, the shadow — there to celebrate, As in a natural temple scattered o'er With altars undisturbed of mossy stone, United worship; or in mute repose To lie, and listen to the mountain flood Murmuring from Glaramara's inmost caves.
Page 212 - Yet nature is made better by no mean But nature makes that mean : so, over that art Which you say adds to nature, is an art That nature makes.
Page 246 - Ocean and earth, the solid frame of earth And ocean's liquid mass, beneath him lay . In gladness and deep joy. The clouds were touched, And in their silent faces could he read Unutterable love. Sound needed none, Nor any voice of joy ; his spirit drank The spectacle : sensation, soul, and form All melted into him ; they swallowed up His animal being ; in them did he live, And by them did he live ; they were his life.
Page 184 - Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul Of the wide world dreaming on things to come, Can yet the lease of my true love control, Supposed as forfeit to a confined doom.
Page 239 - Of mountain torrents ; or the visible scene Would enter unawares into his mind With all its solemn imagery, its rocks, Its woods, and that uncertain heaven, received Into the bosom of the steady lake.