Selected Poetry and A Defense of Rhyme

by Samuel Daniel

Genres: Poetry, Essays

251 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1601

About the author

Samuel Daniel was born in 1562 near Taunton in Somerset to a music-master. In 1579, Daniel was admitted to Magdalen Hall (now known as Hertford College) at Oxford University, where he remained for about three years and afterwards devoted himself to the study of poetry and philosophy.

Late in life, Daniel retired to a farm called The Ridge, near Beckington, in Somerset, where he died on 14 October 1619.

Reviews

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Whilst youth and error led my wandering mind,
And set my thoughts in heedless ways to range,
All unawares a goddess chaste I find,
Diana-like, to work my sudden change.
For her, no sooner had mine eye bewrayed,
But with disdain to see me in that place,
With fairest hand the sweet unkindest maid
Casts water-cold disdain upon my face.
Which turned my sport into a hart's despair,
Which still is chased, while I have any breath,
By mine own thoughts set on me by my Fair.
My thoughts like hounds pursue me to my death;
Those that I fostered of mine own accord,
Are made by her to murder thus their lord."

[Lisajean · Rating 2 out of 5]

With some exceptions, the poems felt stale and the Defense of Rhyme was uninspiring.

[Rdonohue99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good poet, but not an important one. The sonnets are good and have an Everly Brothers feel to them but the Complaint of Rosamond is a minor masterpiece.

[Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for The Defence of Ryme, but I love it for Musophilus.