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Fiction is of the essence of poetry as well as of painting; there is a resemblance in one of human bodies, things, and actions which are not real, and in the other of a true story by fiction.

John Dryden

What, start at this! when sixty years have spread. Their grey experience o’er thy hoary head? Is this the all observing age could gain? Or hast thou known the world so long in vain?
JOHN DRYDEN

Age Empty Experience Known Start World
When I consider life, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, people favor this deceit.
JOHN DRYDEN

Cheating Favor Fools Hope Life
But far more numerous was the herd of such, Who think too little, and who talk too much.
JOHN DRYDEN

Numerous Talk Thinking
All heiresses are beautiful.
JOHN DRYDEN

Beautiful One Liner
Death ends our woes, and the kind grave shuts up the mournful scene.
JOHN DRYDEN

Death End Grave Kind Mourn
The secret pleasure of a generous act Is the great mind’s great bribe.
JOHN DRYDEN

Act Generous Greatness Pleasure Secret
Satire among the Romans, but not among the Greeks, was a bitter invective poem.
JOHN DRYDEN

Bitter Poem Satire
He invades authors like a monarch; and what would be theft in other poets is only victory in him.
JOHN DRYDEN

Author Himself Poet Theft Victory
Plots, true or false, are necessary things, To raise up commonwealths and ruin kings.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fake King Necessary Ruin True
Beware the fury of a patient man.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fury Man Patience
When we view elevated ideas of Nature, the result of that view is admiration, which is always the cause of pleasure.
JOHN DRYDEN

Ideas Nature Pleasure View
Much malice mingled with a little wit Perhaps may censure this mysterious writ.
JOHN DRYDEN

Infidelity Mysterious Thinking
It is a madness to make fortune the mistress of events, because in herself she is nothing, can rule nothing, but is ruled by prudence.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fortune Madness Prudence Rule
An hour will come, with pleasure to relate Your sorrows past, as benefits of Fate.
JOHN DRYDEN

Benefit Fate Pleasure Relate Sorrow Time
Lucky men are favorites of Heaven.
JOHN DRYDEN

Favorite Heaven Man
For truth has such a face and such a mien, as to be loved needs only to be seen.
JOHN DRYDEN

Face Need See Truth
Every age has a kind of universal genius, which inclines those that live in it to some particular studies.
JOHN DRYDEN

Age Genius Kind Live Study Universe
He who would pry behind the scenes oft sees a counterfeit.
JOHN DRYDEN

Himself Scene
Secret guilt is by silence revealed.
JOHN DRYDEN

Guilty Reveal Secret Silence
Freedom which in no other land will thrive, Freedom an English subject’s sole prerogative.
JOHN DRYDEN

Freedom Subject Thrive
The winds are out of breath.
JOHN DRYDEN

Breathe Wind
Be slow to resolve, but quick in performance.
JOHN DRYDEN

Performance Quick Slow
Shakespeare was the Homer, or father of our dramatic poets;Jonson was theVirgil, the pattern of elaborate writing; I admire him, but I love Shakespeare.
JOHN DRYDEN

Admire Drama Father Himself Home Poet Writing
Forgiveness to the injured does belong; but they ne’er pardon who have done wrong.
JOHN DRYDEN

Forgiveness Injury Wrong
Set all things in their own peculiar place, and know that order is the greatest grace.
JOHN DRYDEN

Grace Known Order Place
An horrible stillness first invades our ear, And in that silence we the tempest fear.
JOHN DRYDEN

Fear Horrible Ourselves Silence Temptation
Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.
JOHN DRYDEN

Bound Divison Greatness Intelligence Mad

Fiction is of the essence of poetry as well as of painting; there is a resemblance in one of human bodies, things, and actions which are not real, and in the other of a true story by fiction.

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Fiction is of the essence of poetry as well as of painting; there is a resemblance in one of human bodies, things, and actions which are not real, and in the other of a true story by fiction.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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