The Deserted Village

The Deserted Village is a poem written by Oliver Goldsmith, first published in 1770. It is a lament for the loss of rural life and the depopulation of villages in the 18th century due to the enclosure movement, which saw large landowners fencing off common land for their own use. The poem tells the story of a fictional village, Auburn, which has been abandoned by its inhabitants and left to decay. Goldsmith mourns the loss of the simple, idyllic way of life that once existed in Auburn, and criticizes the greed and ambition of those who have destroyed it. He also celebrates the virtues of the rural poor, who he sees as honest, hardworking, and contented. The poem is divided into four parts, each exploring a different aspect of life in Auburn and the reasons for its decline. It is written in rhyming couplets and uses a variety of poetic devices, including metaphor, allusion, and personification. The Deserted Village is considered one of the great works of English literature and has been widely praised for its beauty, its social commentary, and its insight into the human condition.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.