Poems List

[ On the superiority of his writing to his conversation :] I have but ninepence in ready money, but I can draw for a thousand pounds.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

4

Our disputants put me in mind of the cuttle-fish, that when he is unable to extricate himself, blackens all the water about him till he becomes invisible.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

2
A cloudy day, or a little sunshine, have as great an influence on many constitutions as the most real blessings or misfortunes.
4
A state of temperance, sobriety and justice without devotion is a cold, lifeless, insipid condition of virtue, and is rather to be styled philosophy than religion.
2
A man should always consider how much he has more than he wants, and how much more unhappy he might be than he really is.
4
There is nothing that more betrays a base ungenerous spirit than the giving of secret stabs to a man’s reputation. Lampoons and satires, that are written with wit and spirit, are like poisoned darts, which not only inflict a wound, but make it incurable.
4
Our sight is the most perfect and most delightful of all our senses. It fills the mind with the largest variety of ideas, converses with its objects at the greatest distance, and continues the longest in action without being tired or satiated with its proper enjoyments.
3
The talent of turning men into ridicule, and exposing to laughter those one converses with, is the qualification of little ungenerous tempers.
4
There is no defence against reproach, but obscurity; it is a kind of concomitant to greatness.
2
There is no land of false wit which has been so recommended by the practice of all ages, as that which consists in a jingle of words, and is comprehended under the general name of Punning.
3

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Joseph Addison's literary career flourished in the early 18th century. Alongside Richard Steele, he created The Spectator, a daily publication that explored a wide range of topics, from fashion and social commentary to literary criticism and philosophical discussions. Addison's clear, elegant prose and insightful commentary made the magazine immensely popular and influential. He also held various political offices, including serving as a Member of Parliament and as a Secretary of State. His collaboration with Steele is considered a landmark in the history of journalism and English literature.