The English Poets: Selections with Critical Introductions by Various Writers and a General Introduction, Volume 3Macmillan, 1881 - English poetry |
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Page 1
... died on the 17th of June , 1719. ] No English poet illustrates more vividly than Addison the truth of the principle , ' Poeta nascitur non fit . ' Possessed of an inimitable prose style , which makes him the most graceful of all social ...
... died on the 17th of June , 1719. ] No English poet illustrates more vividly than Addison the truth of the principle , ' Poeta nascitur non fit . ' Possessed of an inimitable prose style , which makes him the most graceful of all social ...
Page 4
... dying groans confound , The dreadful burst of cannon rend the skies , And all the thunder of the battle rise . ' Twas then great Marlbro's mighty soul was prov'd , That , in the shock of charging hosts unmov'd , Amidst confusion ...
... dying groans confound , The dreadful burst of cannon rend the skies , And all the thunder of the battle rise . ' Twas then great Marlbro's mighty soul was prov'd , That , in the shock of charging hosts unmov'd , Amidst confusion ...
Page 6
... died in 1708. His principal works are A Defence of the Fair Sex , 1690 , and Poems , 1691. ] The praise of Dryden first recommended to the public a poet who has since his death been solely immortalised by the praise of Pope . The lines ...
... died in 1708. His principal works are A Defence of the Fair Sex , 1690 , and Poems , 1691. ] The praise of Dryden first recommended to the public a poet who has since his death been solely immortalised by the praise of Pope . The lines ...
Page 10
... died in 1729. ] The poetical remains of Congreve , especially when considered in connection with those remarkable dramatic works which achieved for him so swift and splendid a reputation , have but a slender claim to vitality . His ...
... died in 1729. ] The poetical remains of Congreve , especially when considered in connection with those remarkable dramatic works which achieved for him so swift and splendid a reputation , have but a slender claim to vitality . His ...
Page 11
... dying so , yet never die . ' In his songs and minor pieces Congreve is more successful , though he never reaches the level of his contemporary Prior . ' Amoret , ' which we quote , sets a tune which has often since been heard in ...
... dying so , yet never die . ' In his songs and minor pieces Congreve is more successful , though he never reaches the level of his contemporary Prior . ' Amoret , ' which we quote , sets a tune which has often since been heard in ...
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Common terms and phrases
admiration Ambrose Philips auld beauty beneath Birks of Aberfeldy blest born breast breath Burns charm Chatterton Cowper dear death delight Dryden Dunciad Eclogues English English poetry Epistle ev'ry eyes fair fame fate feel flowers fool frae genius GEORGE SAINTSBURY grace grave Gray Gray's Grongar Hill hand happy hear heart heaven Horace Walpole human King labour lassie literary live Lord Lord Hervey lyre lyric mind moral muse nature ne'er never night numbers o'er once pain passion perhaps Pindaric pleasure poem poet poet's poetical poetry Pope Pope's praise pride prose rhyme round satire sense shade sing smile song soul spirit Spleen sweet taste tear tell thee things thou thought thro toil truth Twas verse virtue weel Whig wind wings write youth
Popular passages
Page 263 - Other refuge have I none — Hangs my helpless soul on Thee : Leave, ah ! leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me ! , All my trust on Thee is stay'd, All my help from Thee I bring: Cover my defenceless head With the shadow of thy wing.
Page 332 - Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; Hands, that the rod of empire might have swayed, Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre. But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll; Chill Penury repressed their noble rage, And froze the genial current of the soul.
Page 287 - How sleep the brave who sink to rest By all their country's wishes blest! When Spring, with dewy fingers cold, Returns to deck their hallowed mould, She there shall dress a sweeter sod Than Fancy's feet have ever trod. By fairy hands their knell is rung, By forms unseen their dirge is sung; There Honour comes, a pilgrim grey, To bless the turf that wraps their clay; And Freedom shall awhile repair, To dwell a weeping hermit there!
Page 288 - O'erhang his wavy bed: Now air is hush'd, save where the weak-eyed bat With short shrill shriek flits by on leathern wing, Or where the beetle winds His small but sullen horn, As oft he rises, 'midst the twilight path Against the pilgrim borne in heedless hum...
Page 333 - The applause of listening senates to command, The threats of pain and ruin to despise, To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land, And read their history in a nation's eyes, Their lot forbade : nor circumscribed alone Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined ; Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne, And shut the gates of mercy on mankind...
Page 567 - Our toils obscure, and a' that ; The rank is but the guinea stamp ; The man's the gowd for a' that. What tho' on hamely fare we dine, Wear hodden gray, and a' that ; Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine, A man's a man for a' that, For a
Page 532 - November chill blaws loud wi' angry sugh ; The short'ning winter-day is near a close ; The miry beasts retreating frae the pleugh ; The black'ning trains o' craws to their repose : The toil-worn Cotter frae his labour goes, This night his weekly moil is at an end, Collects his spades, his mattocks, and his hoes, Hoping the morn in ease and rest to spend, And weary, o'er the moor, his course does hameward bend. At length his lonely cot appears in view, Beneath the shelter of an aged tree ; Th' expectant...
Page 335 - Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.' THE EPITAPH Here rests his head upon the lap of earth A youth to fortune and to fame unknown: Fair science frowned not on his humble birth, And melancholy marked him for her own. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, . Heaven did a recompense as largely send: He gave to misery all he had, a tear: He gained from heaven ('twas all he wished) a friend.
Page 473 - Toll for the brave! Brave Kempenfelt is gone; His last sea-fight is fought; His work of glory done. It was not in the battle; No tempest gave the shock; She sprang no fatal leak ; She ran upon no rock.
Page 260 - Prince of Peace ! Hail the Sun of Righteousness ! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, Born — that man no more may die, Born — to raise the sons of earth, Born — to give them second birth.