Selections from the Poetical Works of Geoffry Chaucer: With a Concise Life of that Poet and Remarks Illustrative of His GeniusWiley and Putnam, 1847 - 296 pages |
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Page vii
... rich and varied humor , are startled and astounded by the power of their de- scriptions and the gorgeousness of their imaginations . However favored they may be , unlike the votaries of Mammon or Fashion , these are neither selfish nor ...
... rich and varied humor , are startled and astounded by the power of their de- scriptions and the gorgeousness of their imaginations . However favored they may be , unlike the votaries of Mammon or Fashion , these are neither selfish nor ...
Page viii
... rich and tempting clusters ; if they knew that " Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers old poets have done ; neither with so plea- sant rivers , fruitful trees , sweet - smelling flowers , nor whatsoever may ...
... rich and tempting clusters ; if they knew that " Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers old poets have done ; neither with so plea- sant rivers , fruitful trees , sweet - smelling flowers , nor whatsoever may ...
Page 39
... rich fancies . Instead of engendering a weak climax by servilely recounting the details of a subject — its conception , birth and gradual growth , until it safely reaches a logical perfection — he seizes it at the moment of its highest ...
... rich fancies . Instead of engendering a weak climax by servilely recounting the details of a subject — its conception , birth and gradual growth , until it safely reaches a logical perfection — he seizes it at the moment of its highest ...
Page 42
... rich themes -which only required a faithful description to have rendered them as deeply interesting as the most romantic fiction - Chaucer utters no sound . And we vent our disappointment by censuring him because he did not celebrate ...
... rich themes -which only required a faithful description to have rendered them as deeply interesting as the most romantic fiction - Chaucer utters no sound . And we vent our disappointment by censuring him because he did not celebrate ...
Page 52
... rich in the stores of his own glorious fancies . We are now very naturally led to a consideration of the pro- fessed imitations or translations of Chaucer , by Prior , Pope , Gay , Wordsworth , Dryden , and others . Of these , Dryden's ...
... rich in the stores of his own glorious fancies . We are now very naturally led to a consideration of the pro- fessed imitations or translations of Chaucer , by Prior , Pope , Gay , Wordsworth , Dryden , and others . Of these , Dryden's ...
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Common terms and phrases
anon Archimago arms beast beauty behold blood brought CANTO Chaucer coude cruel dame dear death delight doth dreadful Duessa elfin knight English English Poetry eyen eyes Faëry Faery Queen fair false fame fast fear fierce foul fresh Gabriel Harvey genius gentle gold goodly grace grene hand hast hath heart heaven heavenly herte hight hire holy House of Fame House of Pride John of Gaunt King lady light living lord mede mighty Mordre Morpheus never nigh noble nought pain Petrarch poet poetical poetry pride prince proud quod quoth Redcross Redcross knight rede rich Saracen seem'd shield sight sire song sore sorrow Spenser steed stert sweet swiche Tale thee ther Therewith thing thou thought tree unto ween whan wight WILLIAM HAZLITT wise wold wondrous wont words wound
Popular passages
Page 49 - Full little knowest thou that hast not tried, What hell it is, in suing long to bide ; To lose good days that might be better spent : To waste long nights in pensive discontent ; To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow ; To feed on hope, to pine with fear and sorrow...
Page 122 - The lion would not leave her desolate, But with her went along, as a strong guard Of her chaste person, and a faithful mate Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard ; Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward; And, when she waked, he waited diligent, With humble service to her will prepared : From her fair eyes he took commandement, And ever by her looks conceived her intent.
Page 34 - Come, let us go, while we are in our prime, And take the harmless folly of the time! We shall grow old apace, and die Before we know our liberty. Our life is short, and our days run As fast away as does the sun. And, as a vapour or a drop of rain, Once lost, can ne'er be found again, So when or you or I are made A fable, song, or fleeting shade, All love, all liking, all delight Lies drown'd with us in endless night.
Page 83 - What thou art, we know not ; What is most like thee ? From rainbow clouds there flow not Drops so bright to see, As from thy presence showers a rain of melody.
Page 86 - Crosse he bore, The deare remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead, as living, ever him ador'd : Upon his shield the like was also scor'd, For soveraine hope which in his helpe he had.
Page 33 - Nay ! not so much as out of bed ? When all the birds have matins said And sung their thankful hymns, 'tis sin, Nay, profanation to keep in, Whenas a thousand virgins on this day Spring, sooner than the lark, to fetch in May.
Page 73 - AND is there care in heaven ? and is there love In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may compassion of their evils move ? There is...
Page 59 - to represent all the moral virtues, assigning to every virtue a Knight to be the patron and defender of the same, in whose actions and feats of arms and chivalry the operations of that virtue, whereof he is the protector, are to be expressed, and the vices and unruly appetites that oppose themselves against the same, to be beaten down and overcome.
Page 122 - Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow cowslip, and the pale primrose. Hail, bounteous May ! that dost inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire ; Woods and groves are of thy dressing; Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long.
Page 101 - As still are wont t' annoy the walled town, Might there be heard : but careless Quiet lies Wrapt in eternal silence far from enemies.* * The exquisite adaptation of the sound of this stanza to its sense has been much praised.