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The Pedant
by
Matthew Prior


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Lysander talks extremely well;
On any subject let him dwell,
His tropes and figures will content ye:
He should possess to all degrees
The art of talk; he practises
Full fourteen hours in four-and-twenty.


This poem is in the public domain.

 


  

 

British poet Matthew Prior (1664 - 1721) apprenticed as a tavern-keeper but received a scholarship to attend Cambridge and thus became a scholar and a diplomat rather than a bartender. He served as a gentleman, a secretary, a secret agent, and an ambassador, and was impeached and imprisoned by the opposition for two years, during which time he produced some quite cheerful verse. Though Prior's love poems are a bit stiff, he had a true gift for wit and satire and his talent earned him a final resting place in Westminster Abbey.

 

 


Post New Comment:
cork:
Matthew has a wonderful way with words.
Posted 10/25/2018 08:09 AM
michael escoubas:
I never cease to be amazed at the rhyming skill of poets writing during the Elizabethan period. Skill and winsomeness combine to make a good marriage in Prior's work.--Thank you, Jayne
Posted 10/25/2018 07:29 AM


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