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
beside fence
Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way, / With blossomed furze unprofitably gay.
bad however journey life man roads
The life of man is a journey; a journey that must be traveled, however bad the roads or the accommodation.
argument furnish intellects
I find you want me to furnish you with argument and intellects too.
children endearing followed good share
Even children followed with endearing wile,/ And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.
naked
The naked every day he clad, / When he put on his clothes.
chose fine qualities wear wife
I... chose my wife as she did her wedding-gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well.
chose fine irish-poet qualities wear wife
I chose my wife as she did her wedding-gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well.
musical taste
With other fashionable topics, such as pictures, taste, Shakespeare, and the musical glasses.
govern thoughts-and-thinking
Those that think must govern those that toil.
direct management pretend
Who can direct when all pretend to know?
looks news older statesmen talked village
Where village statesmen talked with looks profound, / And news much older than their ale went round.
commerce contentment freedom honor prevails wealth
Where wealth and freedom reign; contentment fails, And honor sinks where commerce long prevails
love friendship birthday
I love everything that's old, - old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.
motivational success perseverance
Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.