Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin "Ben" Jonsonwas an English playwright, poet, actor and literary critic of the 17th century, whose artistry exerted a lasting impact upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours. He is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour, Volpone, or The Foxe, The Alchemistand Bartholomew Fayre: A Comedyand for his lyric poetry; he is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth11 June 1572
Opinion is a light, vain, crude, and imperfect thing.
Language most shows a man, speak that I may see thee.
Art hath an enemy call'd ignorance .
Give me a look, give me a face, That makes simplicity a grace Robes loosely flowing, hair as free Such sweet neglect more taketh me Than all the adulteries of art: They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.
Force works on servile natures, not the free.
I am now past the craggy paths of study, and come to the flowery plains of honor and reputation.
The burnt child dreads the fire.
All discourses but my own afflict me; they seem harsh, impertinent, and irksome
Who falls for love of God, shall rise a star.
For whose sake, henceforth, all his vows be such, As what he loves may never like too much.
Man and wife make one fool.
Queen and huntress, chaste and fair Now the sun is laid to sleep, Seated in thy silver chair, State in wonted manner keep: Hesperus entreats thy light Goddess, excellently bright.
You learn nothing about someone by the way they win the fight, you learn everything about the way they lose and keep coming back.
Reader look, not on his picture but his book.