Who is James Shirley

James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist.

He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so much for any transcendent genius in himself, as that he was the last of a great race, all of whom spoke nearly the same language and had a set of moral feelings and notions in common." His career of play writing extended from 1625 to the suppression of stage plays by Parliament in 1642.

Biography

Early life

Shirley was born in London and was descended from the Shirleys of Warwick, the oldest knighted family in Warwickshire. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, London, St John's College, Oxford, ...
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James Shirley Poems

  • To A Lady Upon A Looking-glass Sent
    When this crystal shall present
    Your beauty to your eye,
    Think that lovely face was meant
    To dress another by. ...
  • The Garden
    This Garden does not take my eyes,
    Though here you show how art of men
    Can purchase Nature at a price
    Would stock old Paradise again. ...
  • Death's Subtle Ways
    Victorious men of earth, no more
    Proclaim how wide your empires are;
    Though you bind in every shore
    And your triumphs reach as far ...
  • The Glories Of Our Blood And State
    The glories of our blood and state
    Are shadows, not substantial things;
    There is no armour against fate;
    Death lays his icy hand on kings. ...
  • Peace Restored
    You virgins, that did late despair
    To keep your wealth from cruel men,
    Tie up in silk your careless hair:
    Soft peace is come again. ...
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Top 10 most used topics by James Shirley

Death 8 Poor 6 Field 5 Purple 5 Heart 5 Breath 5 Strong 5 Dust 4 Crown 4 Sweet 4


James Shirley Quotes

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Comments about James Shirley

Mflibra: 1870 scarce first edition - field flowers, a handy-book for the rambling by the famous botanist james shirley hibberd.
Mflibra: 1870 scarce first edition - field flowers, a handy-book for the rambling by the famous botanist james shirley hibberd.
Titusnation: no matter how much training we give police, no matter how many sro’s are armed, school killings won’t stop. adam lanza killed 22 in under five minutes, james holmes? minutes. train the cops all you want, they’ll take them out faster, unless they’re like uvalde. it’s the f’n guns.
Krhodes1985: and she greatly prefers spending time with her godfather, pilot james merritt (james dunn). when mary is killed in a car accident, the distraught shirley becomes the object of a bitter custody battle between james and ned.
Krhodes1985: cast: shirley temple as shirley blake, a five-year-old girl who is mary blake's daughter james dunn as james "loop" merritt, a bachelor pilot and shirley's godfather lois wilson as mary blake, shirley's widowed mother who works as a maid for the smythe family
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James Shirley Crash: After reading about the James Shirley Crash, one line comes to my mind - 'There is no armour against fate' and this is so true, absolutely love the way is true today hundreds of years after it was written.

Poem of the day

Thomas Lovell Beddoes Poem
A Clock Striking Midnight
 by Thomas Lovell Beddoes

Hark to the echo of Time-s footsteps; gone
Thise moments are into the unseen grave
Of ages. Thy have vanished nameless. None,
While they are deep under the eddying wave
Of the chaotic past, shall placea stone
Sacred to these, the nurses of the brave,
The mighty, and the good. Futurity
Broods on the ocean, hatching -neath her wing
...

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