Common Courtesy in Eighteenth-century English LiteratureIn one of his Idlers, Johnson indicated the problems involved in such an achievement as follows: "As a question becomes more complicated and involved, and extends to a greater number of relations, disagreement of opinion will always be multiplied: not because we are irrational, but because we are finite beings, furnished with different kinds of knowledge, exerting different degrees of attention, one discovering consequences which escape another, none taking in the whole concatenation of causes and effects, and most comprehending but a very small part, each comparing what he observes with a different criterion and each referring it to a different purpose. "Where, then, is the wonder, that they who see only a small part should judge erroneously of the whole? |
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... Pope , Sterne , Johnson , and Boswell . It shows how each of these writers represents a conversational envi- ronment in which men and women , dis- cussing general concerns on an equal footing , were able to achieve what the age ...
... Pope , Sterne , Johnson , and Boswell . It shows how each of these writers represents a conversational envi- ronment in which men and women , dis- cussing general concerns on an equal footing , were able to achieve what the age ...
Page 7
... Pope's Poetry 51 4. Sterne's Fiction 85 5. Johnson's Criticism 111 6. Boswell's Biography 147 7. Conclusion 172 Notes 185 Bibliography 193 Index 197 Preface Sometimes as one works through a literary problem especially.
... Pope's Poetry 51 4. Sterne's Fiction 85 5. Johnson's Criticism 111 6. Boswell's Biography 147 7. Conclusion 172 Notes 185 Bibliography 193 Index 197 Preface Sometimes as one works through a literary problem especially.
Page 15
... Pope , as we will see , rigidly inhibiting usages or descriptions that might distress what Pope himself in a later poem identified as " ears polite . " It pervades eighteenth - century fiction : Tom Jones carefully averts his eyes from ...
... Pope , as we will see , rigidly inhibiting usages or descriptions that might distress what Pope himself in a later poem identified as " ears polite . " It pervades eighteenth - century fiction : Tom Jones carefully averts his eyes from ...
Page 17
... Pope's development as a courteous poet , for instance , we will encounter a gradual transformation of the one into ... Pope , Swift , and Addison , represented as " common sense . " English - speaking people of the eighteenth century ...
... Pope's development as a courteous poet , for instance , we will encounter a gradual transformation of the one into ... Pope , Swift , and Addison , represented as " common sense . " English - speaking people of the eighteenth century ...
Page 19
... Pope's dunces do , if these did not have any inductive weight . But it would be folly not to assemble such details if they did . Johnson would encourage a gardener to enumerate the streaks of a tulip — no matter what Imlac might say ...
... Pope's dunces do , if these did not have any inductive weight . But it would be folly not to assemble such details if they did . Johnson would encourage a gardener to enumerate the streaks of a tulip — no matter what Imlac might say ...
Contents
5 | |
17 | |
Popes Poetry | 41 |
Sternes Fiction | 75 |
Johnsons Criticism | 101 |
Boswells Biography | 137 |
Conclusion | 162 |
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Common terms and phrases
A. A. Luce acknowledges actually Addison agreement Alexander Pope allows apparent Arbuthnot argument asserts Atossa attention audience Author Berkeley Berkeley's biographical Bolingbroke Boswell Boswell's circle common sense Consider conversation course courteous courtesy described Dialogues disagreement discourse discussion doubt Dunciad eighteenth-century ellipsis enforces epistle Essay on Criticism evident example experience explains exposition figures human Hylas imagine individual intellectual Johnson judgment knowledge literary Lord Lord Bolingbroke Lycidas Malebranche ment Milton's mind moreover nature never observed occasion once opinion particular passage passive voice Percival Philonous philosophers poem poet poetic poetry polite Pope Pope's practice praise present quotes Rambler Rasselas readers recognizes reference represented respondent rhetorical satiric sensible Shakespeare share social society Sterne Sterne's style suggests Swift Tale things thought throughout tion topics train of ideas Treatise Trim Tristram Shandy truth uncle Toby Uncle Toby's understanding universal W. K. Wimsatt Walter's words writing
Popular passages
Page 7 - It was said of Socrates that he brought Philosophy down from heaven, to inhabit among men ; and I shall be ambitious to have it said of me, that I have brought Philosophy out of closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea-tables and in coffeehouses.
Page 18 - IT is evident to any one who takes a survey of the objects of human knowledge, that they are either ideas actually imprinted on the senses; or else such as are perceived by attending to the passions and operations of the mind; or lastly, ideas formed by help of memory and imagination— either compounding, dividing, or barely representing those originally perceived in the aforesaid ways.
Page 45 - This day, black Omens threat the brightest Fair, That e'er deserv'da watchful spirit's care; Some dire disaster, or by force, or slight; But what, or where, the fates have wrapt in night. Whether the nymph shall break Diana's law, Or some frail China jar receive a flaw; Or stain her honour or her new brocade; Forget her pray'rs, or miss a masquerade; Or lose her heart, or necklace, at a ball; Or whether Heav'n has doom'd that Shock must fall.
Page 53 - Twin'd with the wreaths Parnassian laurels yield, Or reap'd in iron harvests of the field ? Where grows ? — where grows it not ? If vain our toil, We ought to blame the culture, not the soil...
Page 46 - Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A hero perish, or a sparrow fall, Atoms or systems into ruin hurl'd, And now a bubble burst, and now a world.
Page 54 - ORDER is Heaven's first law ; and this confest, Some are, and must be, greater than the rest, More rich, more wise; but who infers from hence That such are happier, shocks all common sense.
Page 54 - Oh ! while along the stream of time thy name Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame ; Say, shall my little bark attendant sail, Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale...
Page 53 - Pursues that chain which links th' immense design, Joins heaven and earth, and mortal and divine ; Sees that no being any bliss can know, But touches some above, and some below ; Learns from this union of the rising whole, The first, last purpose of the human soul ; And knows where faith, law, morals, all began, All end in love of God and love of man.
Page 125 - Nothing can less display knowledge or less exercise invention than to tell how a shepherd has lost his companion and must now feed his flocks alone, without any judge of his skill in piping; and how one god asks another god what is become of Lycidas, and how neither god can tell. He who thus grieves will excite no sympathy; he who thus praises will confer no honour.