The lives of the most eminent English poets (concluded). Miscellaneous livesJ. Buckland, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Payne and Sons, L. Davis, B. White and Son ... [and 36 others in London], 1787 |
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The lives of the most eminent English poets (concluded). Miscellaneous lives Samuel Johnson Affichage du livre entier - 1787 |
The lives of the most eminent English poets (concluded). Miscellaneous lives Samuel Johnson,John Hawkins Affichage du livre entier - 1787 |
Expressions et termes fréquents
Addiſon afterwards almoſt anſwer aſked aſſiſtance Auſtrians becauſe beſt buſineſs cauſe cenſure compoſition confidered conſequence converſation curioſity defire deſerved deſign diſcovered Drake Dryden Dunciad eaſe eaſy Engliſh eſteem faid fame fatire firſt fome foon friendſhip fuch fuffered himſelf hiſtory honour houſe Iliad increaſe inſtruction intereſt juſt king laſt learning leaſt leſs Letters Lord loſs maſter moſt muſt neceſſary neſs never Night Thoughts obſerved occafion paſſage paſſed perhaps perſon pinnaces pleaſed pleaſure poem poet poetry Pope Pope's poſitions praiſe preſent propoſed publick publiſhed purpoſe raiſed reaſon refuſed reſt ſaid ſame ſays ſcarcely ſcenes ſchool ſecond ſecure ſeems ſeen ſenſe ſent ſet ſeveral ſhall ſhe ſhew ſhip ſhort ſhould ſkill ſmall ſome ſomething ſometimes ſon ſoon ſpent ſpirit ſtand ſtate ſtill ſtudy ſubject ſucceſs ſuch ſufficient ſupplied ſuppoſed ſuſpected themſelves theſe thoſe thought tion tranſlation univerſity uſe verſes verſion veſſel viſit whoſe write Young
Fréquemment cités
Page 110 - If the flights of Dryden therefore are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and constant. Dryden often surpasses expectation, and Pope never falls below it. Dryden is read with frequent astonishment, and Pope with perpetual delight.
Page 109 - Dryden knew more of man in his general nature, and Pope in his local manners.
Page 276 - The excellence of this work is not exactness, but copiousness ; particular lines are not to be regarded ; the power is in the whole ; and in the whole there is a magnificence like that ascribed to Chinese plantation, the magnificence of vast extent and endless diversity.
Page 308 - In the character of his Elegy I rejoice to concur with the common reader; for by the common sense of readers uncorrupted with literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtilty and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours.
Page 206 - He had employed his mind chiefly upon works of fiction, and subjects of fancy; and, by indulging some peculiar habits of thought, was eminently delighted with those flights of imagination which pass the bounds of nature, and to which the mind is reconciled only by a passive acquiescence in popular traditions. He loved fairies, genii, giants, and monsters ; he delighted to rove through the meanders of enchantment, to gaze on the magnificence of golden palaces, to repose by the water-falls of Elysian...
Page 79 - For this reason this joint production of three great writers has never obtained any notice from mankind; it has been little read, or when read has been forgotten, as no man could be wiser, better, or merrier, by remembering it. The design cannot boast of much originality; for, besides its general resemblance to Don Quixote, there will be found in it particular imitations of the History of Mr.
Page 109 - Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more ; for every other writer since Milton must give place to Pope ; and even of Dryden it must be said, that, if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems.
Page 109 - Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind, Pope constrains his mind to his own rules of composition. Dryden is sometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is always smooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rising into inequalities and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe and levelled by the roller.
Page 90 - Club," compared himself to a spider, and by another is described as protuberant behind and before. He is said to have been beautiful in his infancy, but he was of a constitution originally feeble and weak; and, as bodies of a tender frame are easily distorted, his deformity was probably in part the effect of his application. His stature was so low, that to bring him to a level with common tables, it was necessary to raise his seat. But his face was not displeasing...
Page 176 - As a writer he is entitled to one praise of the highest kind: his mode of thinking, and of expressing his thoughts, is original. His blank verse is no more the blank verse of Milton, or of any other poet, than the rhymes of Prior are the rhymes of Cowley.