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The Village School Master
The Village School Master
By : Oliver Goldsmith
INTRODUCTION
Oliver Goldsmith was born in Longfield and was educated at the Trinity College,
Dublin. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine, but he never practiced as a
Doctor. His main works are The Traveler(1764), Vicar of Wakefield(1766), The
Deserted Village( 1770) and She Stoops to Conquer(1773).
In this poem, which is an extract form ‘The Deserted Village’, he describes the village,
Auburn modeled on his own village, Lissoy. He describes the sight of the muted villages,
as the villagers have abandoned it and have gone to the cities in search of ‘Wanton
wealth’. This extract is focused over the village school and gives a character sketch of
the village schoolmaster who taught at that school. It also gives an account on the views
of the children as well as that of the villagers of Auburn about the school master.