Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmithwas an Irish novelist, playwright and poet, who is best known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield, his pastoral poem The Deserted Village, and his plays The Good-Natur'd Manand She Stoops to Conquer. He is thought to have written the classic children's tale The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth10 November 1730
CountryIreland
amusing book dull numerous single
A book may be amusing with numerous errors, or it may be very dull without a single absurdity.
subject winds
Is he like Burke, who winds into a subject like a serpent?
abide disappoint
As for disappointing them, I should not so much mind; but I can't abide to disappoint myself.
fond love taste
I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines; and, I believe, Dorothy, you'll own I have been pretty fond of an old wife.
belongs defined human ill prove rational
Logicians have but ill defined As rational the human mind. Logic, they say, belongs to man, But let them prove it if they can.
land nurse
The land of scholars, and the nurse of arms.
laugh loud spoke vacant voice whispering
The watch-dog's voice that bayed the whispering wind, / And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind.
results politeness good-nature
Politeness is the result of good sense and good nature.
aims far heart house known learned raise relieved skilled wretched
Far other aims his heart had learned to prize, / More skilled to raise the wretched than to rise. / His house was known to all the vagrant train, / He chid their wanderings, but relieved their pain.
experience govern toil
For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil
consists glory greatest irish-poet rising time
Our greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.
itself pleasure weakest within
The weakest soul, within itself unblest, Leans for all pleasure on another's breast
dangerous
It's a damned long, boggy, dirty, dangerous way.
defiance eye human lords pass pride
Pride in their port, defiance in their eye I see the Lords of human kind pass by.