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
students pleasure unspeakable
There is unspeakable pleasure attending the life of a voluntary student.
love-is pleasure charm
Our pleasures are short, and can only charm at intervals; love is a method of protraction our greatest pleasure.
want pleasure source
Every want that stimulates the breast becomes a source of pleasure when redressed.
wish age pleasure
Is it that Nature, attentive to the preservation of mankind, increases our wishes to live, while she lessens our enjoyments, and as she robs the senses of every pleasure, equips imag-ination in the spoil?
pleasure convenience fortuitous
To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.
soul weakness pleasure
And the weak soul, within itself unbless'd, Leans for all pleasure on another's breast.
fond pursue
Too fond of the right to pursue the expedient.
subject winds
Is he like Burke, who winds into a subject like a serpent?
guarded requires scarcely sentinel virtue worth
The virtue which requires to be ever guarded is scarcely worth the sentinel
absurdity champion defend error talkative
Every absurdity has a champion to defend it, for error is always talkative
children endearing followed good share
Even children followed with endearing wile,/ And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile.
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.
defiance eye human lords pass pride
Pride in their port, defiance in their eye I see the Lords of human kind pass by.