About the Poet
Oliver Goldsmith was born on 10th November 1730 and died on 4th April, 1774.
In 1744 Goldsmith went up to Trinity College, Dublin
He worked as an apothecary’s assistant.
He was a friend of Samuel Johnson.
Samuel Johnson and Oliver Goldsmith together established “The Club”.
Horace Walpole called Oliver goldsmith as “Inspired Idiot”.
His best workis are
Citizen of the world(1760): it is a series of letter came in “Public Ledger”
Citizen of the world is a series of letters purportedly written by Lien Chi who is a Chinese traveler living in England.
The Hermit (1765) : It is a romantic ballad. Angelina and Edwin are the notable character in The Hermit.
This poem appears under the title of "A Ballad" sung by the character of Mr. Burchell in Chapter 8 of Goldsmith's novel, The Vicar of Wakefield.
The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) – It is novel,
The Deserted Village (1770)- it is a pastoral poem. : it is written with environmental concern and expresses the danger of losing livelihood of peasantry when their agricultural lands were transformed into mere ornamental gardens.
The pseudonym ‘Sweet Aubum’ was given to the ruined village in “The deserted Village’ by Oliver Goldsmith.
An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog was published in 1766. : It is an ironic poem.
She Stoops to Conquer (1771)- it is a play.
The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes,- it is the source of the phrase "goody two-shoes".
Oliver Goldsmith’s works in a nutshell
· Fiction
· Non-Fiction
· Plays
· Poetry
o A Sonnet
o The Gift
the poem:
Good people all, of every sort,
Give ear unto my song;
And if you find it wondrous short,
It cannot hold you long.
Give ear unto my song;
And if you find it wondrous short,
It cannot hold you long.
In Islington there was a man,
Of whom the world might say
That still a godly race he ran,
Whene'er he went to pray.
Of whom the world might say
That still a godly race he ran,
Whene'er he went to pray.
A kind and gentle heart he had,
To comfort friends and foes;
The naked every day he clad,
When he put on his clothes.
To comfort friends and foes;
The naked every day he clad,
When he put on his clothes.
And in that town a dog was found,
As many dogs there be,
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp and hound,
And curs of low degree.
As many dogs there be,
Both mongrel, puppy, whelp and hound,
And curs of low degree.
This dog and man at first were friends;
But when a pique began,
The dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad and bit the man.
But when a pique began,
The dog, to gain some private ends,
Went mad and bit the man.
Around from all the neighbouring streets
The wondering neighbours ran,
And swore the dog had lost his wits,
To bite so good a man.
The wondering neighbours ran,
And swore the dog had lost his wits,
To bite so good a man.
The wound it seemed both sore and sad
To every Christian eye;
And while they swore the dog was mad,
They swore the man would die.
To every Christian eye;
And while they swore the dog was mad,
They swore the man would die.
But soon a wonder came to light,
That showed the rogues they lied:
The man recovered of the bite,
The dog it was that died.
That showed the rogues they lied:
The man recovered of the bite,
The dog it was that died.
Synonyms and Antonyms :
Sort : type, creed, (Antonyms : same, uniform)
Wondrous : fine, amzing, stonishing (Antonyms : bore, brazen, lacklustre)
Islinton : name of a place
Godly race : godly natured, performing godly things ( Antonyms : evil nature, evil, necromancy)
mongrel, puppy, whelp and hound : different breeds of dogs.
Cur : a dog c considered inferior or undesirable, a mongrel
Pique : temper, irritation, a feeling of resentment ( Antonyms : happy feeling, amicable, friendly, soothing)
Swore: past tense of swear.
Swear: making a solemn promise, to declare, to affirm ( Antonyms : doubt, being in doldrums, uncertain)
Sore: Painful to touch, feeling physical pain, hurt ( Antonyms :healed, cool, healthy)
Rogue: rascal, barbaric, unreliable person, deceitful ( Antonyms : gentleman, dependable, reliable )
Appreciation of the poem:
1. Irony (Figure of speech) is employed in the poem and it completely revealed in the last lines of the last stanza.
2. In the first stanza poem sets for the comic start as only good people can heed to his poem and if that is short the person cannot hold it for a long time.
3. Paradox is employed I the second stanza while explaining man who ran a Godly race and that is evident whenever he goes for a prayer. It holds contradiction, is that man too religious spiritually, or is he just showcasing his spirituality.
4. Hyperbole is employed in ‘In Islington there was a man,
Of whom the world might say’ – it is unusual for the world to say about someone.
Of whom the world might say’ – it is unusual for the world to say about someone.
5. The fourth stanza begins on opposite note as finding dogs is a coomon thing, and which is incomparable to find a man of superior virtue. (But undertone suggests otherwise,)
6. Irony of thought is employed in the sixth stanza when it is said that do bit the man without paying attention to his goodness.
7. The wound it seemed both sore and sad : to the rhythm the alliteration is used when the consonant sound ‘s’ is repeated.
8. The word ‘swore’ is used many times and in the final stanza it is equaled with a lie, and final ironical effect is achieved which is in the reversal of outcome. Finally bite caused death to the dog instead of man.
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