One of the greatest English playwrights of the seventeenth century, Ben Jonson was also a deeply influential lyric poet, whose poetry combined classical ideals with a vigorous interest in contemporary life and colloquial language. The Complete Poems contains all the volumes of poetry Jonson published in his lifetime - including Epigrams, The Forest and Underwoods - alongside a wide variety of his other poems collected after his death. Ranging from deeply moving pieces such as 'On My First Son' and the elegant love lyric 'Song to Celia' to brutally satirical poems such as 'On Poet-Ape' and the reflective 'An Ode to Himself', it offers a powerful celebration of both one man's life, and of an age.
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Ben Jonson was born in 1572, the posthumous son of a minister and was educated at Westminster School thanks to an unknown patron. In 1597, after brief careers as a bricklayer and soldier, he began to work for Henslowe's company as a player and playwright. In addition to the comedies Jonson also produced two tragedies. In 1616 he was granted a royal pension and was made, in effect, Poet Laureate. He died on 6 August 1637.
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Pray thee, take care, that tak'st my book in hand, To read it well: that is, to understand. Read the first page
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Pray thee, take care, that tak'st my book in hand, To read it well: that is, to understand. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Roman Clodia
TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ok, let's be honest, Jonson is a great playwright but he's just not that great a poet. He has his moments (the Celia poems, the Charis lyrics, some of the more personal poems) but most of his verse is 'occasional' or written to his many patrons and people at court.
This is a good edition which contains all Jonson's poetry, both the collections published during his life, and the posthumous verse. It also has a useful appendix of Drummond's 'Conversations', notes taken of his discussions with Jonson in 1619 which give us biographical and other information. This edition doesn't have a biographical introduction but does include a detailed table of dates.
What this collection expresses superbly is the casual, social nature of poetry at this period; that is, everyone wrote it in the way we now text or blog and it isn't seen as a 'vocation' or a special talent. By noting who Jonson wrote poetry to and about, we can re-construct social and literary networks, and get a picture of the mental world within which Jonson lived.
So if you want to read Jonson's poetry this is a good and reliable edition to buy - just don't expect the kind of brilliance and beauty of a Marlowe, Donne, or Sidney.
This is a good edition which contains all Jonson's poetry, both the collections published during his life, and the posthumous verse. It also has a useful appendix of Drummond's 'Conversations', notes taken of his discussions with Jonson in 1619 which give us biographical and other information. This edition doesn't have a biographical introduction but does include a detailed table of dates.
What this collection expresses superbly is the casual, social nature of poetry at this period; that is, everyone wrote it in the way we now text or blog and it isn't seen as a 'vocation' or a special talent. By noting who Jonson wrote poetry to and about, we can re-construct social and literary networks, and get a picture of the mental world within which Jonson lived.
So if you want to read Jonson's poetry this is a good and reliable edition to buy - just don't expect the kind of brilliance and beauty of a Marlowe, Donne, or Sidney.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Mike Collins
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ben Jonson was a real London geezer - actor, playwright, poet, boozer, fighter and killer - a Renaissance Cockney of the first water. Penguin have done another superb job in presenting these marvellous poems and I'd like to see a TV series of the man, with Ray Winstone in the lead role. Sarcasm is a great London weapon and BJ had it by truckloads. But when he writes of the death of his infant daughter there's real feeling there too. Top writer, top book - know what I mean, mate? George Parfitt is the chap responsible for the editing but you feel Georgie boy ain't the real Whitechapel bricklaying deal and he doesn't seem aware of the real London sensibility in this work. How Ben must have raged at those provincials, like Bill Shakespeare, coming in and nicking all the best plays.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
To draw no envy on thy name..
7 Sep 2012
By L. Power
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Recently I bought this book because of my growing interest in the authorship of Shakespeare.
Born in 1572, his father, a bricklayer died before he was born. He is the one poet that we can state with absolute certainty knew Shakespeare. We know because, among things Shakespeare is listed as an actor in several of his plays, and there is an interview he gives where he takls about Shakespeare in this book. He wrote a Eulogy to him in Shakespeare's First Folio.
Jonson is a rather paradoxical character who could give and take away a completement in the same breath, or in a different breath. In 1616 he wrote a peoem called On Poet Ape, sometimes known as Epigram 56, published in 16216 the year of Shakespeare's death.
"Poor Poet-Ape that would be thought our chief,
Whose works are e'en the frippery of wit,
From brocage is become so bold a thief,
As we the robbed, leave rage, and pity it.
At first he would make low shifts, would pick and glean,
Buy the reversion of old plays; now grown
To a little wealth and credit in the scene
He takes up all, makes each man's wit his own...
..He marks not whose 'twas first: and after-times
May judge it to be his..
Contrast that with his eulogy in 1623 where he
calls Shakespeare the Soul of the Age, and starre of Poets, and the famous line
"Though little had he Latin and Less Greek,", and Starre of Poets, seems sarcastic when one considers that he wrote a play.
Other than that I am astounded by the amount of poet that he wrote. He include a very touching poem to his osn who diesd at the age of seven. He refers to someone called the great writer, who does not wish to be revealed. People have speculated who this great writer is. Some people speculated Chapman, but Chapman is mentioned by name in another poem. Jonson was paid to make alterations to Richard Crookback, yet in one of his poems he commends the writer of the Richard play.
He also alludes to Marlowe as Kit Cobbler. At least four wirters of the era have referred to Marlowe in this way. In 1616 the year of Shaklespeare's death he received a pension from King James.
Jonson at one time was sentenced to death for murder and managed to escape by a loophole called benefit of clergy, because he was able to speak latin, colloquially referred to as neck-verse.
If you are interested in this era and Jonson in particular, this is a great resource, and Jonson is clearly one the top poets of the era. Many of the poets of the era unfortunately died very young. The average life expectancy at the time was 35 on account of the plague, the pox and many other perils.
I think you will love it, and I hope this was helpful.
Born in 1572, his father, a bricklayer died before he was born. He is the one poet that we can state with absolute certainty knew Shakespeare. We know because, among things Shakespeare is listed as an actor in several of his plays, and there is an interview he gives where he takls about Shakespeare in this book. He wrote a Eulogy to him in Shakespeare's First Folio.
Jonson is a rather paradoxical character who could give and take away a completement in the same breath, or in a different breath. In 1616 he wrote a peoem called On Poet Ape, sometimes known as Epigram 56, published in 16216 the year of Shakespeare's death.
"Poor Poet-Ape that would be thought our chief,
Whose works are e'en the frippery of wit,
From brocage is become so bold a thief,
As we the robbed, leave rage, and pity it.
At first he would make low shifts, would pick and glean,
Buy the reversion of old plays; now grown
To a little wealth and credit in the scene
He takes up all, makes each man's wit his own...
..He marks not whose 'twas first: and after-times
May judge it to be his..
Contrast that with his eulogy in 1623 where he
calls Shakespeare the Soul of the Age, and starre of Poets, and the famous line
"Though little had he Latin and Less Greek,", and Starre of Poets, seems sarcastic when one considers that he wrote a play.
Other than that I am astounded by the amount of poet that he wrote. He include a very touching poem to his osn who diesd at the age of seven. He refers to someone called the great writer, who does not wish to be revealed. People have speculated who this great writer is. Some people speculated Chapman, but Chapman is mentioned by name in another poem. Jonson was paid to make alterations to Richard Crookback, yet in one of his poems he commends the writer of the Richard play.
He also alludes to Marlowe as Kit Cobbler. At least four wirters of the era have referred to Marlowe in this way. In 1616 the year of Shaklespeare's death he received a pension from King James.
Jonson at one time was sentenced to death for murder and managed to escape by a loophole called benefit of clergy, because he was able to speak latin, colloquially referred to as neck-verse.
If you are interested in this era and Jonson in particular, this is a great resource, and Jonson is clearly one the top poets of the era. Many of the poets of the era unfortunately died very young. The average life expectancy at the time was 35 on account of the plague, the pox and many other perils.
I think you will love it, and I hope this was helpful.
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