John Dryden
John Dryden
John Drydenwas an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who was made England's first Poet Laureate in 1668...
close eyes far meet sit souls touch
Our souls sit close and silently within, And their own webs from their own entrails spin; And when eyes meet far off, our sense is such, That, spider-like, we feel the tenderest touch
estate found whom
Beggared by fools! whom still he found too late, He had his jest, but they had his estate
necessary raise revolutions-and-revolutionaries ruin true
Plots, true or false, are necessary things, to raise up commonwealths, and ruin kings.
age beast begin brought chase lovers piece thy time wars
All, all of a piece throughout; / Thy chase had a beast in view; / Thy wars brought nothing about; / Thy lovers were all untrue. / 'Tis well an old age is out, / And time to begin a new.
closing compass frame full harmony heavenly notes universal
From harmony, from heavenly harmony / This universal frame began: / From harmony to harmony / Through all the compass of the notes it ran, / The diapason closing full in Man.
bless malicious man office proud seldom slave
Fortune, that with malicious joy, Does man her slave oppress, Proud of her office to destroy, Is seldom pleas'd to bless
chose discourse nearest rugged verse
And this unpolished rugged verse I chose / As fittest for discourse and nearest prose.
broke expensive sins wisely
Did wisely from expensive sins refrain, / And never broke the Sabbath, but for gain.
die lost loved
He loved me well: so well he could but die - To show he loved me better than his life; he lost it for me
far numerous talk thoughts-and-thinking
Far more numerous are those as such; who think to little and talk to much.
giving want poverty
If we from wealth to poverty descend, Want gives to know the flatterer from the friend.
action common graceful interest seldom
Youth, beauty, graceful action, seldom fail:/ But common interest always will prevail.
began call lately whom
Farewell, too little and too lately known, / Whom I began to think and call my own.
battles fought
Fought all his battles o'er again; / And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice he slew the slain.