 Then, Sir, what is poetry?" JOHNSON: "Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not. We all know what light is; but it is not easy to tell what it is.  Calcutta Review - Page 11857Full view - About this book
 | Goold Brown - 1851 - 1124 pages
...define. When Dr. Johnson was asked, " What is poetry .*" he replied, " Why, sir, it is easier to tell what it is not. We all know what light is : but it is not easy to tell what it is." — BoswelCs Life of Johnion, Vol. iii, p. 402. This was thought by the biographer to have been well... | |
 | 1881 - 636 pages
...Attribute and Accident may be given. At present I can only say of them as Dr. Johnson said of light: " We all know what light is, but it is not easy to tell what it in". ERNEST CHARLES BBNECKE. "A NEW DEPARTURE IN METAPHYSICS. THE Rev. E. R Conder in his Basis of... | |
 | James Boswell - 1884 - 634 pages
...Sixteenstring Jack ' towered above the common mark." BOSWELL. "Then, Sir, what is poetry?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not....light is ; but it is not easy to tell what it is." * On Friday, April 12, I dined with him at our friend Tom Davies's, where we met Mr. Cradock,3 of Leicestershire,... | |
 | Samuel Johnson - 1884 - 348 pages
...Sixteen-string Jack towered above the common mark." BOSWELL. "Then, sir, what is poetry?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, it is much easier to say what it is not....light is ; but it is not easy to tell what it is." XXIV. POETS. BOSWELL. "You have read Cibber's Apology, sir?" JOHNSON. "Yes, it is very entertaining;... | |
 | James Boswell - 1884 - 634 pages
...Sixteenstring Jack 1 towered above the common mark." BOSWELL. " Then, Sir, what is poetry ?" JOHNSON. " Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not....what light is ; but it is not easy to tell what it is."2 On Friday, April 12, I dined with him at our friend Tom Davies's, where we met Mr. Cradock, 2... | |
 | Enchiridion - 1884 - 288 pages
...All these elaborations bring to mind Dr. Johnson's answer when urged to define poetry : " Sir, it is easier to say what it is not : we all know what light is, but it is not easy to tell what it is." On the other hand, Dr. Henneker's reply to Lord Chatham, " Wit is what a pension would be if given... | |
 | 1904 - 850 pages
...and know ;" and when Dr. Johnson was asked to define poetry, he replied : "Sir, it is easier to see what it is not, — we all know what light is, but it is not easy to tell what it is." And so, it may be said of humour, and an attempt to define it with explicit and logical accuracy would... | |
 | James Boswell, Samuel Johnson - 1887 - 490 pages
...Sixteen-string Jack4 towered above the common mark.' BOSWELL. 'Then, Sir, what is poetry?' JOHNSON. ' Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not....light is ; but it is not easy to tell what it is.' On Friday, April 12, I dined with him at our friend Tom Davies's, where we met Mr. Cradock, of Leicestershire,... | |
 | James Boswell - 1890 - 568 pages
...JOHNSON. 267 towered above the common mark." BOSWELL : " Then, Sir, what is poetry ? " JOHNSON : " Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not....light is, but it is not easy to tell what it is." On Friday, April 12, I dined with him at our friend Tom Davies's, where we met Mr. Cradock,* of Leicestershire,... | |
 | 1897 - 790 pages
...when one day Boswell asked him, " Then, Sir, what is poetry ?" he replied with unusual evasiveness, "Why, Sir, it is much easier to say what it is not." Well, if anyone cares to wade through the columns and columns of "poetry" in the Gentleman's Magazine,... | |
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