The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Lives of the poetsTalboys and Wheeler, 1825 |
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acquaintance Addison afterwards appeared blank verse Bolingbroke censure character Cibber contempt criticism death delight diction diligence discovered Dryden duke Dunciad earl edition Edward Young elegant endeavoured English poetry epitaph Essay excellence expected faults favour Fenton fortune friends friendship genius honour Iliad imagination kind king known labour lady learning letter lines lived lord lord Halifax Lyttelton mankind ment mentioned mind nature never Night Thoughts numbers occasion once passion performance perhaps Pindar pleased pleasure poem poet poetical poetry Pope Pope's pounds praise present printed publick published queen racter reader reason received remarks reputation rhyme satire Savage says seems sir Robert Walpole solicited sometimes soon stanza sufficient supposed Swift Tatler Theophilus Cibber thing Thomson Tickell tion told tragedy translation Tyrconnel verses virtue Westminster Abbey whigs write written wrote Young
Popular passages
Page 325 - 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 487 - Churchyard" abounds with images which find a mirror in every mind, and with sentiments to which every bosom returns an echo. The four stanzas, beginning "Yet even these bones," are to me original; I have never seen the notions in any other place, yet he that reads them here persuades himself that he has always felt them. Had Gray written often thus, it had been vain to blame and useless to praise him.
Page 324 - Of genius, that power which constitutes a poet; that quality without which judgment is cold and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates, the superiority must with some hesitation be allowed to Dryden.
Page 294 - As fruits ungrateful to the planter's care, On savage stocks inserted, learn to bear, The surest virtues thus from passions shoot. Wild nature's vigour working at the root. What crops of wit and honesty appear From spleen, from obstinacy, hate, or fear ! See anger zeal and fortitude supply ; E'en avarice prudence, sloth philosophy ; Lust, through some certain strainers well refin'd, Is gentle love, and charms all womankind; Envy, to which th...
Page 324 - The style of Dryden is capricious ; and varied ; that of Pope is cautious and uniform. Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind ; Pope constrains his ' mind to his own rules of composition.
Page 353 - Thy reliques, Rowe, to this fair urn we trust, And sacred, place by Dryden's awful dust; Beneath a rude and nameless stone he lies, , To which thy tomb shall guide inquiring eyes. . '• ' Peace to thy gentle shade, and endless rest! Blest in thy genius, in thy love too blest ! One grateful woman to thy fame supplies What a whole thankless land to his denies.
Page 245 - ... he seems to have done only that for which a guardian is appointed ; he endeavoured to direct his niece till she should be able to direct herself. Poetry has not often been worse employed than in dignifying the amorous fury of a raving girl.
Page 483 - His supplication to father Thames, to tell him who drives the hoop or tosses the ball, is useless and puerile. Father Thames/ has no better means of knowing than himself.
Page 487 - 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. The Churchyard abounds with images which find a mirror in every mind, and with sentiments to which every bosom returns an echo. The four stanzas beginning "Yet even these bones...
Page 359 - Unblam'd through life, lamented in thy end. These are thy honours! not that here thy bust Is mix'd with heroes, or with kings thy dust; But that the Worthy and the Good shall say, Striking their pensive bosoms — Here lies GAY.