“Happy who in his verse can gently steer
From grave to light, from pleasant to severe.”
John Dryden (1631–1700) English poet and playwright of the XVIIth century
The Art of Poetry, canto i, line 75.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
“Happy the poet who with ease can steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.”
Heureux qui, dans ses vers, sait d'une voix légère
Passer du grave au doux, du plaisant au sévère.
Canto I, l. 75
As translated by John Dryden
The Art of Poetry (1674)
Variant: Happy who in his verse can gently steer
From grave to light, from pleasant to severe.
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From grave to gay, from lively to severe." by Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux?
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux30
French poet and critic 1636–1711Related quotes
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