In conversation Dante was taciturn and satirical.
Rousseau was remarkably trite in conversation—not a word of fancy or eloquence warmed him.
Milton was unsocial, and even irritable, when much pressed by talk of others.
FAMOUS LOVE POEMS.
An Elizabethan Dramatist and One of the Cavaliers of
Charles I Gave to Our Language Two of
Its Most Charming Lyrics.
The English language is particularly rich in poetical expressions of the tender passion, but among these two have long been regarded as preeminent.
One, "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love," was written by Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593), the only great predecessor of Shakespeare in the British drama. This lyric, which is described by old Izaak Walton as "that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlowe," is one of the most beautiful of its kind that has come down to us from the Elizabethan period. It has frequently been imitated by minor poets, and a delightful reply to it was made by Sir Walter Raleigh.