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
itself pleasure weakest within
The weakest soul, within itself unblest, Leans for all pleasure on another's breast
bed behind chest clicked clock contrived debt double drawers nicely
The white-washed wall, the nicely sanded floor, / The varnished clock that clicked behind the door; / The chest contrived a double debt to pay, / A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day.
again battle fights rise runs slain
For he who fights and runs away May live to fight another day; But he who is in battle slain Can never rise and fight again
battle fights rise runs
For he that fights and runs away, may live to fight another day, but he, who is in battle slain, can never rise and fight again.
best gave ignorance innocence labor life light spread wealth wholesome
For him light labor spread her wholesome store, Just gave what life required, but gave no more: His best companions, innocence and health; And his best riches, ignorance of wealth
experience govern toil
For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil
dangerous
It's a damned long, boggy, dirty, dangerous way.
subject winds
Is he like Burke, who winds into a subject like a serpent?
brows cap instead night stocking
A night-cap decked his brows instead of bay, / A cap by night - a stocking all the day!
abide disappoint
As for disappointing them, I should not so much mind; but I can't abide to disappoint myself.
As a wit, if not first, in the very first line.
copy improve model people seldom themselves
People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after
naked
The naked every day he clad, / When he put on his clothes.
defiance eye human lords pass pride
Pride in their port, defiance in their eye I see the Lords of human kind pass by.