Lives of the poets
by Samuel Johnson · first published 1820
3mentions
2recommended by
2HN commenters
2019–2021first – last mentioned
100% recommend
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…Elia' might perhaps be be the finest collection of essays in the English language, Macaulay( whose essay on Warren Hastings is a masterpiece of English prose), William Hazlitt, even Dr Johnson (His 'Lives of the poets' is essentially a large collection of brilliant essays) and Joseph Addison.
on “Great Essays and Essayists” ↗…keeps a pretty firm thumb on the scales. Marvin Mudrick remarked that Boswell's Tour of Corsica was very good--I wouldn't know, for I haven't read it. And Tour of the Hebrides is very good. Johnson's Lives of the Poets is a good place to start with him, I think.
on “Boswell’s Life of Johnson” ↗I would recommend Samuel Johnson's "Lives of the Poets", a similar collection of biographies of English poets. Johnson points out good stuff from each of these poets works as well. His vigorous style of writing packed with wit as usual. He mentions that…
on “Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects” ↗