{"product_id":"2940016089492","title":"THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE","description":"The \"Castle of Indolence\" is a renewal of Spencer's best pictures—a renewal not only in its dreamy voluptuousness of character, but in its stanzaic peculiarities. It has been said that no other writers ever succeeded in acquiring the peculiar flow of Milton's blank verse, or the singular play of Spenser's old time rhythm. This is true with an exception. One half of \"The Castle of Indolence,\" if a little more antiquated, might be inserted among the cantos of the Faery Queene without detection. Of course, this is no slight compliment to the later poet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The Castle of Indolence\" was the work in which the idle Thomson gave words to his individual mood. A sluggard, he had a sluggard's visions. His visions of nature were of nature lulled into quietude. His landscapes sleep under quiet skies—his winds come from \"the land of Drowsy Head.\" He reared shadowy battlements,and planted \"sleep-soothing groves,\" under which lay\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Idlesse in her dreaming mood.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd in such pictures the Poet rejoiced. But with this drowsy enchantment he mingled all the freshness of that age which, from its far distance in the past, takes upon itself the hue of far clouds—becoming in the eyes of men an age of gold. The freshness of the patriarchal age—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What time Dan Abraham left the Chaldee land, \u003cbr\u003e  And pastured on from verdant stape to stage, \u003cbr\u003e Where fields and fountains fresh could best engage.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd this freshness retrieves the swooning and too sickly tone of a poem, all in all, inimitable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf, reader, you wish an hour of forgetfulness, go to some quiet hollow, in the pleasant summer time, and after working thought and heart into the mood which can\u003cbr\u003e\"Pour all the Arabian heaven upon our nights,\" hum such sleep-begetting verses as these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \"Joined to the prattle of the purling rills \u003cbr\u003eWere heard the lowing herds along the vale, \u003cbr\u003eAnd flocks were bleating from the distant hills, \u003cbr\u003eJlnd vacant shepherds piping in the dale: \u003cbr\u003eAnd now and then sweet Philomel would wail, \u003cbr\u003eOr stock-doves plain amid the forest deep, \u003cbr\u003eThat drowsy rustled to the sighing gale; \u003cbr\u003eAnd still a coil the grasshopper did keep: \u003cbr\u003eYet all these sounds yblent inclined oil to sleep. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd up the hills, on either side, a wood\u003cbr\u003eOf blackening pines aye waving to and fro,\u003cbr\u003eSent forth a sleepy horror thro' the blood;\u003cbr\u003eAnd where this valley winded out below,\u003cbr\u003eThe murmuring main was heard, and scarcely heard, to flow.\u003cbr\u003eA pleasing land of drowsy-head it was,\u003cbr\u003eOf dreams that wave before the half-shut eye;\u003cbr\u003eAnd of gay castles in the clouds that pass,\u003cbr\u003eForever Hushing round a summer sky:\u003cbr\u003eThere, eke the soft delights that witchingly\u003cbr\u003eInstill a wanton sweetness through the breast,\u003cbr\u003eAnd the calm pleasures always hovered nigh.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSuch soporific verses are of more worth than all the narcotics ever squeezed from the pores of the poppy. They sound like the trickle of rain from the caves, or like the hum of bees about a tulip-tree in early summer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThomson died in August 1748, and was buried in the church of Richmond.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe is said to have been above the middle stature; somewhat corpulent; of a stupid look and repulsive appearance; taciturn in strange company, but sociable among his intimate friends; fixed in his attachments, and fervid in his benevolence. But he was too fat to be active; and often failed to bestow as well as obtain a favor through mere indolence. We have already seen that he wrote one poem on this vice; and reflecting upon its effects in his own affairs,he is said to have designed an eastern tale 'of the man who loved to be in distress.'","brand":"OGB","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47071242715376,"sku":"2940016089492","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940016089492_p0.jpg?v=1763628789","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940016089492","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}