Thomas Parnell, born in Dublin on 11 September 1679 and dead at Chester, England, on 24 October 1718, occupies a distinctive position in the literary culture of the early eighteenth century. He was an Anglo-Irish clergyman, poet, translator, essayist, and valued member of the brilliant circle that included Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, John Gay, and John Arbuthnot. His name is often introduced through those greater…
“I know this in mankind, that when our ambition is unable to attain its end, it is not only wearied, but exasperated too at the vanity of its labours; then we speak ill of happier studies, and, sighing, condemn the excellence which we find above our reach.”
Neighbourhood:
Augustan Poets, Death & Mortality, Devotional Poets, Irish Poets
Emotional landscape: Longing, Tenderness, Sensuality
In the brilliant dawn of Greek lyric poetry, when words were wedded to music and dance in elaborate public performances, one voice soared above all others with such power and sublimity that ancient critics called him simply "the poet." Pindar of Thebes, born around 518 BC in the village of Cynoscephalae near the great Boeotian city, would become the most celebrated lyric poet of classical antiquity, his verses preser…
“Man is a shadow's dream. Yet when a ray of sunshine comes given by God, a bright light rests on men and life is sweet.”
Neighbourhood:
Ancient & Classical Poets, Classical & Ancient Poets, Death & Mortality, Greek Poets, Poet-Musicians
Emotional landscape: Spirituality, Wonder, Joy
