Scholar's Life
Mark what ills the scholar’s life assail,
toil, envy want, the garret and the jail,
and others Dr. Johnson has omitted,
like friends who think he ought to be committed
by men with licenses and long white coats
who do not care for all the things he quotes,
and patrons who have never gone to college,
who hope that words he uses to acknowledge
their help will make them so respectable
that they to higher office are electable,
and scholars who search carefully his writings
for their own names in small print in the citings
of footnotes, endnotes, all the apparatus
which basically for them is all that matters,
protected by their status and their tenure,
manure some pile on, some pile on womenure.
To toil and envy, garret and the jail,
add steps some make to make their rivals fail.
These are some ills befalling scholars’ lives;
survivors are the ones with lovely wives.
Frank Kermode reviews several books on Dr. Johnson in the NYR, June 22,2006:
When Johnson’s poem “The Vanity of Human Wishes” was first published in 1749, it contained this couplet:
…mark what ills the scholar’s life assail,
Toil, envy, want, the garret at the jail.
In the second edition of 1755, “garret” is changed to “patron.”
6/11/06
poem by Gershon Hepner
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Related quotes
No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned... a man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company.
quote by Samuel Johnson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Looper [trailer 2]
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Pierce Gagnon
by Rian Johnson from Looper (2012)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Looper
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Pierce Gagnon
by Rian Johnson from Looper (2012)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into jail for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.
quote by Samuel Johnson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Unforgotten
I know a garden where the lilies gleam,
And one who lingers in the sunshine there;
She is than white-stoled lily far more fair,
And oh, her eyes are heaven-lit with dream!
I know a garret, cold and dark and drear,
And one who toils and toils with tireless pen,
Until his brave, sad eyes grow weary -- then
He seeks the stars, pale, silent as a seer.
And ah, it's strange; for, desolate and dim,
Between these two there rolls an ocean wide;
Yet he is in the garden by her side
And she is in the garret there with him.
poem by Robert William Service
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Dear Auna
Dear sister you are the world
You are the sun
You are my light to be
I love the love you give me
It is special and I will forever cherish it
You are just like Garret to me
A real sister and Garret is a real brother
And I don't want that to go away
I never want it to
I love you guys to much
And I hope we never get separated again
It was hard living without you guys
And it was lonely
I'm glad to call you my sister
You are forever in my heart
I will cherish the moments we have together
And hope I always will
Love You Auna
(07/09/11)
poem by Marilee Morley
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Sonnet: Envy
In human hearts, the fire of Envy burns,
All night and day, since birth until one’s death!
No matter what lessons the mind still learns,
The eyes of Envy stay green till last breath.
Why should Envy occupy the heart’s core?
Does God not give talents to all the men?
To everyone, He opens a new door!
Just sinless labor will earn him Heaven.
But not all men are made of same substance;
Yet, plenty can be done in any field;
One’s toil’s outweighed by environment and chance;
To suppress others, powers never wield!
The poison, Envy devours any heart,
And spells chaos and doom for any art.
poem by John Celes
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We Need But Ask
Its sad to see our neighbours fall
To see our families fail
Its sad that they reject God’s call
And spend their lives in jail
This age of car and aeroplane
Of spaceships to the moon
Man’s wanton lust and selfish gain
Though Christ is coming soon
They’ve been to school they’ve grown so wise
But still The Truth they doubt
Their selfish pride has closed their eyes
To what this life’s about
They fail to see the facts at hand
The devil’s robbed their sight
Whilst heads are stuck in shifting sand
They fail to see The Light
No thought of death and coming wrath
No thought of Heaven’s will
Choosing instead the devil’s path
They hope life’s hopes to fill
Whilst Satan yet controls their mind
Whilst evil fills their heart
They’ll wander lost and total blind
And have from life no part
God’s Son alone can save their soul
God’s Son alone can heal
God’s Son alone can make them whole
If when to Him they kneel
It matters not how deep we’ve trod
How shameful yet we live
We need but seek The Son of God
And ask Him to forgive
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Dr Samuel Johnson's Dictionary Masterpiece
June 1746 deeply dissatisfied
with the dictionaries of the period
London booksellers contracted
Dr Samuel Johnson to write
'A Dictionary of the English Language'
15 April 1755 finally published.
Johnson took nine years to create
an authoritative dictionary of the English language
could finish in three years he claimed?
Preposterous Académie Française employed;
in comparison over forty learned scholars
spending needing forty years to complete;
its dictionary in the French language.
Forty Frenchmen times forty years
is not nine but 1600 years to complete.
Miracle miracle Johnson 1591 years defeats.
For what princely sum did Johnson contract
with William Strahan and printer associates;
a preeminent Dictionary in English to complete?
18 June 1746 in historic morning was signed
a project prestigious contact worth 1,500 guineas?
This sum of 1,500 guineas is
in pounds £1,575 equivalent
in 2012 to about £230,000.
A consortium of London's most
successful printers including Robert
Dodsley, Thomas Longman, would
finance a dictionary none could afford;
on such scale to undertake alone, thus was
contracted to be; a meticulous feat of legend.
Twas said 'the world contemplated
with wonder so stupendous a work achieved
by one man, while other countries
had thought such undertakings
fit only for whole academies'.'
OED took writers 70 years to complete.
Johnson's Dictionary unlike all proto-dictionaries;
earlier printed painstaking care exhibited
an exact completeness in illustrations definitions.
Upon bold title page was proud acknowledged;
Oxford had awarded Johnson a Master of Arts
degree in anticipation of so great an achievement.
This titanic marvel an unprecedented;
dictionary contained pages 18 inches
46 cm tall nearly 20 inches 50 cm wide.
Paper chosen was of the finest;
quality available running to a cost
of near £1,600 more than sum paid;
to Johnson to write what he pronounced
to be 'Vasta mole superbus' 'Proud
in its great bulk' a marvelous achievement.
No book this size except a few special editions;
of the Bible had even been set to type thus
no single bookseller could this book hope to print.
With pride Dr Samuel Johnson proclaims his;
'A Dictionary of the English Language' as words
deduced from their originals illustrated;
in their different significations by examples;
from the best writers to which he had prefixed
an English Grammar a history of the language.
Revolutionary genius Johnson's important;
innovation was to illustrate the meanings
of words with famous English literary quotations;
approximately 114,000 by the best writers;
Shakespeare, Milton and Dryden were authors
by Johnson most frequently included cited.
The colossal work each copy cost £4/10/- equivalent;
to £675 in 2005, a small fortune, so exorbitant an amount,
that five editions and thirty years later only copies 6,000;
had been sold averaging 200 books a year for thirty years.
Publication universal appreciation a standing ovation heralds
honours innovative content and Johnson's efforts to create it.
poem by Terence George Craddock
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The Bohemian
Up in my garret bleak and bare
I tilted back on my broken chair,
And my three old pals were with me there,
Hunger and Thirst and Cold;
Hunger scowled at his scurvy mate:
Cold cowered down by the hollow grate,
And I hated them with a deadly hate
As old as life is old.
So up in my garret that's near the sky
I smiled a smile that was thin and dry:
"You've roomed with me twenty year," said I,
"Hunger and Thirst and Cold;
But now, begone down the broken stair!
I've suffered enough of your spite . . . so there!"
Bang! Bang! I slapped on the table bare
A glittering heap of gold.
"Red flames will jewel my wine to-night;
I'll loose my belt that you've lugged so tight;
Ha! Ha! Dame Fortune is smiling bright;
The stuff of my brain I've sold;
Canaille of the gutter, up! Away!
You've battened on me for a bitter-long day;
But I'm driving you forth, and forever and aye,
Hunger and Thirst and Cold."
So I kicked them out with a scornful roar;
Yet, oh, they turned at the garret door;
Quietly there they spoke once more:
"The tale is not all told.
It's au revoir, but it's not good-by;
We're yours, old chap, till the day you die;
Laugh on, you fool! Oh, you'll never defy
Hunger and Thirst and Cold."
poem by Robert William Service
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The Garret
Within a London garret high,
Above the roofs and near the sky,
My ill-rewarding pen I ply
To win me bread.
This little chamber, six by four,
Is castle, study, den, and more,--
Altho' no carpet decks the floor,
Nor down, the bed.
My room is rather bleak and bare;
I only have one broken chair,
But then, there's plenty of fresh air,--
Some light, beside.
What tho' I cannot ask my friends
To share with me my odds and ends,
A liberty my aerie lends,
To most denied.
The bore who falters at the stair
No more shall be my curse and care,
And duns shall fail to find my lair
With beastly bills.
When debts have grown and funds are short,
I find it rather pleasant sport
To live 'above the common sort'
With all their ills.
I write my rhymes and sing away,
And dawn may come or dusk or day:
Tho' fare be poor, my heart is gay.
And full of glee.
Though chimney-pots be all my views;
'T is nearer for the winging Muse,
So I am sure she 'll not refuse
To visit me.
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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To Get That Money
to get that money
make that money
steal that money
go to jail.
to get that jewelry
make that money
steal that jewelry
go to jail
banker man,
understand
steal that money
go to jail.
wallstreet man
understand,
steal that money
go to jail.
mr. thief
it's my belief
steal that money
go to jail.
mr. crime
I ain't lyin'
steal that money
go to jail.
poem by Richard Jarboe
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I Envy Nothing But One
I don’t envy the angels with wings who can fly
I’ve been soaring in the beautiful sky of your love
I don’t envy the beauty of the rainbow
You’ve made me the most beautiful woman in your love
I don’t envy the freedom of the dolphins swimming in the ocean
I’ve been swimming in the ocean of your loving eyes
I don’t envy Shakespeare for his love poems
I’ve become the greatest poet since I met you
I don’t envy Romeo’s faith to Juliet
You’ve never turned your heart from me, not even once
I don’t envy the softness of the dew the morning has
You’ve been kissing me gently with your tender lips
I don’t envy Monalisa’s wonderful smile Leonardo has
I’ve got one of mine on your face
I don’t envy the sweet sound a harp has
I’ve got a sweeter one when you whisper in my ears
I envy nothing but one
The way you love and make me feel this way
poem by Santi Dewi Sihombing
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The voice I have now, I got the first time I sang in a movement meeting, after I got out of jail... and I'd never heard it before in my life.
quote by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To be able to look life in the face: that's worth living in a garret for, isn't it?
quote by Edith Wharton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Holloway Jail
They took my baby, to holloway jail,
They took my baby, down holloway jail,
She was a lady, when she went in,
Now shes in jail, and its giving me hell.
She was succeeding in the city,
She was just beginning to excel,
Then a spiv named frankie simes
Led her to a life of crime,
And led her on the downward trail.
Frankie came home late from work one evening,
The c.l.d. were hot on his trail,
Frankie promised everything,
And then he went and turned her in,
She went and took the rap for him,
Now shes impaled in holloway jail.
They took my baby, down holloway jail,
They took my baby, to holloway jail,
There aint no pity, there aint no bail,
And she assures me that its living hell.
She was young and ever so pretty,
Now she looks so old and pale,
She never sees the day,
She wastes her life away,
Sitting in that prison cell.
They took my baby to holloway jail,
They took my baby, down holloway jail,
She was a lady when she went in,
Now shes in jail, and its giving me hell.
Shes impaled, in holloway jail.
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dead, Jail, Or Rock 'n Roll
When I was a kid all I wanted to be
Was the meanest dude on the meanest machine
Now I'm going to wrong way on a one-way street
I never fit this society
I don't really mind
Doing my own time
The three choices I ever came to find
Were:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
I ain't looking for trouble but it's looking for me
The law of the jungle is protecting me
Lose sleep man stay out of your bed
You might wind up in jail if you lose your head
In death I might find
True peace of mind
But while I'm alive
Free choice is mine
It's either:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
I don't really mind
Doing my own time
The three choices I ever came to find
Were either:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
song performed by by Warrant
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dead, Jail, Or Rock 'n Roll
When I was a kid all I wanted to be
Was the meanest dude on the meanest machine
Now I'm going to wrong way on a one-way street
I never fit this society
I don't really mind
Doing my own time
The three choices I ever came to find
Were:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
I ain't looking for trouble but it's looking for me
The law of the jungle is protecting me
Lose sleep man stay out of your bed
You might wind up in jail if you lose your head
In death I might find
True peace of mind
But while I'm alive
Free choice is mine
It's either:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
I don't really mind
Doing my own time
The three choices I ever came to find
Were either:Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
Dead, Jail or Rock'n'Roll
song performed by by Warrant
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The humblest painter is a true scholar; and the best of scholars the scholar of nature.
quote by William Hazlitt
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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You killed my son's cat
(This is a fictional poem)
You got revenge when you killed my son's cat and now you're going to pay.
You did it because I used to steal your newspaper everyday.
You knew when you hurt my son that you'd hurt me too.
I'm going to make you regret what you've put him through.
When he buried his cat, it was painful for him to say goodbye.
Eversince that day, he's done nothing but cry.
Stealing your newspapers was wrong but killing my son's cat was far worse.
What you did was horrible and it can't be reversed.
You didn't know that another neighbor saw you kill the cat.
We're going to have you put in jail for that.
After you're locked up, I'm going to sue.
You hurt my son and now I'm going to hurt you.
poem by Randy Johnson
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