Project Gutenberg 2004-10-19 Public domain in the USA. 95 Ward, Edward 1667 1731 Ward, Ned Dillon, John, Sir Pomfret, John 1667 1702 The Pleasures of a Single Life, Or, The Miseries of Matrimony Occasionally writ upon the many divorces lately granted by Parliament. With The choice, or, the pleasures of a country-life. Dedicated to the beaus against the next vacation. 'The choice' is by John Pomfret. Attributed to Edward Ward or Sir John Dillon. E-text prepared by David Starner, Charles Bidwell, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "The Pleasures of a Single Life, Or, The Miseries of Matrimony" by Edward Ward et al. is a satirical poem written in the early 18th century. This work presents an exploration of the joys of bachelorhood contrasted with the tribulations often associated with marriage. The poem serves as an examination of societal attitudes toward relationships, emphasizing the burdens of matrimony and the fleeting nature of romantic bliss. The book unfolds through vivid narratives that project the author's reflections on the contrasting states of singlehood and married life. The narrator initially relishes the freedoms and pleasures that come with living a single life—indulging in intellectual pursuits, the companionship of books, peaceful solitude, and liberating experiences. However, he soon becomes entangled in the trials of love, succumbing to the temptations of a beautiful woman, only to discover the painful realities of betrayal and dissatisfaction that accompany marriage. Through a blend of humor, lamentation, and social critique, the text ultimately argues for the merits of a solitary existence while painting a rather gloomy picture of wedded life, suggesting that the true happiness lies in freedom from the constraints of marital bonds. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 57.9 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Marriage -- Poetry Country life -- Poetry Single people -- Poetry PR Text Category: Poetry Category: Humour Category: British Literature 88849 2025-07-06T07:03:03.360744 text/html 88853 88741 2024-11-06T09:51:20.255793 2023-10-06T10:38:02.306236 text/html text/html 115229 2025-07-06T07:03:09.245677 application/epub+zip 113925 2025-07-06T07:03:06.424725 application/epub+zip 99673 2025-07-06T07:03:05.307709 application/epub+zip 272557 2025-07-06T07:03:11.037700 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 258531 2025-07-06T07:03:08.477727 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 104053 2022-09-07T12:56:45.574043 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 70682 2025-07-06T07:03:03.017710 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 50632 2024-10-28T20:46:09 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18960 2025-07-06T07:03:11.193665 application/rdf+xml 17910 2025-07-06T07:03:05.791709 image/jpeg 3654 2025-07-06T07:03:05.548713 image/jpeg 112830 2025-07-06T07:03:03.370723 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia