What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure. First attributed to Johnson 15 years posthumously in a footnote in William Seward's Biographiana , but written in slightly different form in , in a profile in The Scots Magazine of Charles Churchill. Actually said by Giuseppe Baretti , February 13, Wikipedia has an article about: Samuel Johnson. Wikisource has original works written by or about: Samuel Johnson. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Samuel Johnson.
But who was Johnson? What else was he known for and why has his legacy endured beyond that of his many illustrious eighteenth century peers? Samuel Johnson was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, the son of a bookseller. He attended Prembroke College, Oxford, in his late teens but struggled to afford the fees, complained of the intellectual idleness of his contemporaries and felt humiliated when a fellow student took pity on him and presented him with a replacement pair of shoes as a gift.
The great man left university without completing his degree and launched himself into the coffeehouses and print shops of literary London, living a life of genteel poverty, forever under threat from his creditors.
Having completed the mammoth task of assembling the dictionary, a commission for which he was handsomely reimbursed, Johnson wrote an analysis of Shakespeare and a biography of his friend Richard Savage, a poet convicted of murder.
Throughout this poem, Johnson argues that pride and greed are ultimately negative and unwanted qualities that only lead to failure or unhappiness. His harsh tone is clearly demonstrated throughout this literary work, and by incorporating qualities of the Juvenalian satire, Johnson takes this biting tone one step further.
A large bulk of his poem centers on listing what he believes to be vain, and advising people to stray away from these surface pursuits. What he means by this is that searching for academic glory in a college like Oxford is vain and trivial, and should not be the goal of any student. He continues with his argument by criticizing beauty, wealth, and war. His last major critique focuses on beauty when he so harshly criticizes those who long for this superficial entity.
Although Johnson makes other critiques throughout the poem, these examples are the most strongly focused. He makes his point clear that individuals are entirely too wrapped up in trivial pursuits and are thus overlooking the more important aspects of life. His criticisms span across all people and across all times, and he makes this idea evident in the opening of the poem when he states,. This aspect of the poem is extremely significant because Johnson shows the reader that he is not merely addressing one person, but critiquing humanity as a whole.
As Howard D. This statement holds great truth; Johnson successfully conveys his critical ideas because he strategically establishes a personal relationship with the reader. His main point is to demonstrate the notion that although humans are extremely flawed, their lives can be fixed if they live according to Christianity. By leaving readers with this comforting idea, Johnson exposes his immense belief in the power of Christianity and his strong faith in God.
The poem feeds on the idea of man kind being its own downfall due to greed and arrogance. Johnson uses specific satirical structure, and language in order to truly convey his point. This illustrates that Johnson is using the Augustan characteristic of empiricism throughout the poem, drawing on observation of different social statuses, and life scenarios, such as monarchs, military, the poor, and many more.
The fact that this poem is written as a satire is what makes it a true Augustan piece of writing. The satirical elements, that point out the mistakes and misfortunes of man hoping that by pointing out these errors, man will change their ways.
Satire is all about calling out things that are obviously wrong but can be changed and fixed. Specific points of the poem directly comment on how much greed effects a person, and how it leads to an inevitable circle of wanting more and more until we can no longer take it and we destroy ourselves. The need to be wealthy is what will be the end for mankind.
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