Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known British Poets, Volume 1George Gilfillan James Nichol., 1860 - English poetry |
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Common terms and phrases
Barbour beauty Ben Jonson birds blind Blind Harry body born breast castle Chaucer Confessio Amantis Court crown dance death died doth dread Earl earth English English Poetry entitled eyes face fair fire flowers genius GILES FLETCHER gold Gower grace grief Hail hand Harpalus hast hath heart heaven heavenly Henry Henry VIII honour horse James John John Gower JOSHUA SYLVESTER kind king lady land Layamon light live lively colours look Lord Love's lusty Lyndsay Merle mind never night Nightingale noble nought pain poem poet poetic poetry praise prince Queen quoth Raleigh reign rich Richard Richard II Robert Wisdom rose Scotland Scottish shine sight sing Sir David Lyndsay sleep song sorrow soul spirit sweet tell thee thine things thou thought Tower trees unto verse Wallace wrote youth
Popular passages
Page 276 - WHY so pale and wan, fond lover? Prithee, why so pale? Will, when looking well can't move her, Looking ill prevail? Prithee, why so pale?
Page 259 - And joyed to wear the dressing of his lines! Which were so richly spun, and woven so fit, As, since, she will vouchsafe no other wit. The merry Greek, tart Aristophanes, Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please, But antiquated and deserted lie As they were not of Nature's family.
Page 208 - Rest of their bones, and souls' delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell; And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
Page 114 - With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb'st the skies ; How silently ; and with how wan a face ! What ! may it be, that even in heavenly place That busy Archer his sharp arrows tries...
Page 276 - Her feet beneath her petticoat Like little mice stole in and out, As if they feared the light: But, oh ! she dances such a way— No sun upon an Easter day Is half so fine a sight.
Page 254 - ON THE COUNTESS OF PEMBROKE UNDERNEATH this sable hearse Lies the subject of all verse: Sidney's sister, Pembroke's mother: Death, ere thou hast slain another Fair, and learned, and good as she, Time shall throw a dart at thee.
Page 278 - Her finger was so small, the ring Would not stay on which they did bring, It was too wide a peck : And to say truth, for out it must, ' It look'd like the great collar, just, About our young colt's neck.
Page 210 - I love you, and would be loved fain, But am betrothed unto your enemy: Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again, Take me to you, imprison me, for I Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
Page 112 - There were hills, which garnished their proud heights with stately trees ; humble valleys, whose base estate seemed comforted with the refreshing of silver rivers: .meadows, enamelled with all sorts of eye-pleasing' .flowers ; thickets, which being lined with most pleasant shade were witnessed so...
Page 114 - Because I oft in dark abstracted guise Seem most alone in greatest company, With dearth of words, or answers quite awry, To them that would make speech of speech arise, They deem, and of their doom the rumour flies, That poison foul of bubbling Pride doth lie So in my swelling breast, that only I Fawn on myself, and others do despise ; Yet Pride, I think, doth not my soul possess, Which looks too oft in his unflattering glass ; But one worst fault— Ambition — I confess, That makes me oft my best...