A History of English Literature |
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American Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon literature appeared ballads beautiful became began Ben Jonson Beowulf born Burns Byron called canto character Charles charm Chaucer chief Childe Harold comedy composed composition Court critical cultivated death didactic drama English literature English poetry epic Essay excellent famous feeling French genius George German Gorboduc Henry Hudibras human humour ideal imitators influence J. M. Kemble James John King Lake poets language later Letitia Elizabeth Landon literary London Lord Lord Byron lyrical manner middle ages Milton mind modern moral nature Newstead Abbey noble Norman novel Paradise Lost passions pieces plays poem poet poet's poetical political popular principles produced prose published Puritanism Queen reign romance Satan satire Saxon Scotch Scott Shakespeare Shelley Sheridan society songs spirit stage style tale talent taste theatre Thomas tion tragedy translation trouvères verse vols William write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 104 - Thus Satan talking to his nearest mate With head uplift above the wave, and eyes That sparkling blazed; his other parts besides Prone on the flood, extended long and large, Lay floating many a rood...
Page 100 - Man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heavenly muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed, In the beginning, how the heavens and earth Rose out of chaos...
Page 292 - Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note, As his corse to the rampart we hurried ; Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot O'er the grave where our hero we buried. We buried him darkly at dead of night, The sods with our bayonets turning ; By the struggling moonbeam's misty light And the lantern dimly burning.
Page 79 - Tired with all these for restful death I cry, As to behold desert a beggar born, And needy nothing trimmed in jollity, And purest faith unhappily forsworn, And gilded honour shamefully misplaced, And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted, And right perfection wrongfully disgraced, And strength by limping sway disabled And art made tongue-tied by authority, And folly (doctor-like) controlling skill, And simple truth miscalled simplicity, And captive good attending captain ill.
Page 245 - Her lips were red, her looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was as white as leprosy, The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she, Who thicks man's blood with cold. The naked hulk alongside came, And the twain were casting dice; "The game is done! I've won! I've won!
Page 244 - See! (I cried) she tacks no more! Hither to work us weal ; Without a breeze, without a tide, She steadies with upright keel! The western wave was all a-flame. The day was well-nigh done ! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun; When that strange shape drove suddenly Betwixt us and the Sun.
Page 222 - O Caledonia ! stern and wild, meet nurse for a poetic child, • land of brown heath and shaggy wood, land of the mountain and the flood, land of my sires!
Page 252 - As the sweet moon on the horizon's verge, The maid was on the eve of womanhood; The boy had fewer summers, but his heart Had far outgrown his years, and to his eye There was but one beloved face on earth, And that was shining on him...
Page 73 - Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature; for anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end both at the first, and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.
Page 111 - WHEN civil dudgeon first grew high, And men fell out, they knew not why ; When hard words, jealousies, and fears, Set folks together by the ears, And made them fight, like mad or drunk, For Dame Religion, as for punk ; VOL.