Elegy
Written in a Country Churchyard
By Thomas Gray) (1716-1771)
By Thomas Gray) (1716-1771)
......."Elegy
Written in a Country Churchyard" is—as the title indicates—an elegy. Such
a poem centers on the death of a person or persons and is, therefore, somber
in tone. An elegy is lyrical rather than narrative—that is, its primary
purpose is to express feelings and insights about its subject rather than
to tell a story. Typically, an elegy expresses feelings of loss and sorrow
while also praising the deceased and commenting on the meaning of the deceased's
time on earth. Gray's poem reflects on the lives of humble and unheralded
people buried in the cemetery of a church.
.......The
time is the mid 1700s, about a decade before the Industrial Revolution
began in England. The place is the cemetery of a church. Evidence indicates
that the church is St. Giles, in the small town of Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire,
in southern England. Gray himself is buried in that cemetery. William Penn,
the founder of Pennsylvania, once maintained a manor house at Stoge Poges.
.......Gray
began writing the elegy in 1742, put it aside for a while, and finished
it in 1750. Robert Dodsley published the poem in London in 1751. Revised
or altered versions of the poem appeared in 1753, 1758, 1768, and 1775.
Copies of the various versions are on file in the at Oxford University.
.......Gray
wrote the poem in four-line stanzas (quatrains). Each line is in iambic
pentameter, meaning the following:
1..Each line has five pairs of syllables for a total of ten syllables........In each stanza, the first line rhymes with the third and the second line rhymes with the fourth (abab), as follows:
2..In each pair, the first syllable is unstressed (or unaccented), and the second is stressed (or accented), as in the two lines that open the poem:
.......The CUR few TOLLS the KNELL of PART ing DAY
.......The LOW ing HERD wind SLOW ly O'ER the LEA
a.....The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,Stanza Form: Heroic Quatrain
b.....The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
a.....The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
b.....And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
.......A
stanza with the above-mentioned characteristics—four lines, iambic pentameter,
and an abab rhyme scheme—is often referred to as a heroic quatrain. (Quatrain
is derived from the Latin word quattuor, meaning
four.) William
Shakespeare and John Dryden had earlier used this stanza form. After Gray's
poem became famous, writers and critics also began referring to the heroic
quatrain as an elegiac stanza.
Stanza
1
1. The curfew tolls the knell
of parting day,
2. The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
3. The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
4. And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
2. The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
3. The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
4. And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Notes
(1)
Curfew: ringing
bell in the evening that reminded people in English towns of Gray’s time
to put out fires and go to bed. (2) Knell: mournful sound. (3) Parting
day: day's end; dying day; twilight; dusk. (4) Lowing: mooing.
(5) O'er: contraction for over. (6) Lea: meadow.
Stanza 2
5. Now fades the glimm'ring
landscape on the sight,
6. And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
7. Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
8. And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.
6. And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
7. Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight,
8. And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds.
Notes
(1)
Line 5: The landscape
becomes less and less visible. (2) Sight . . . solemn stillness . . . save:
alliteration. (3) Save: except. (4) Beetle: winged insect
that occurs in more than 350,000 varieties. One type is the firefly, or
lightning bug. (5) Wheels: verb meaning
flies in circles.
(6) Droning: humming; buzzing; monotonous sound. (7)
Drowsy tinklings
lull the distant folds: This clause apparently refers to the gentle
sounds made by a bell around the neck of a castrated male sheep that leads
other sheep. A castrated male sheep is called a wether. Such a sheep
with a bell around its neck is called a bellwether.
Folds
is a noun referring to flocks of sheep. (8) Tinklings: onomatopoeia.
Stanza 3
9. Save that from yonder
ivy-mantled tow'r
10. The moping owl does to the moon complain
11. Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
12. Molest her ancient solitary reign.
10. The moping owl does to the moon complain
11. Of such, as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
12. Molest her ancient solitary reign.
Notes
(1)
Save: except.
(2) Yonder: distant; remote. (3) Ivy-mantled: cloaked, dressed,
or adorned with ivy. (4) Moping: gloomy; grumbling. (5)
Of such:
of anything or anybody. (6) Bow'r: bower, an enclosure surrounded
by plant growth—in this case, ivy. (7) Molest her ancient solitary reign:
bother the owl while it keeps watch over the churchyard and countryside.
(8) Her ancient solitary rein: metaphor comparing the owl to a queen.
Stanza 4
13. Beneath those rugged
elms, that yew-tree's shade,
14. Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,
15. Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
16. The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
14. Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,
15. Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
16. The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
Notes
(1)
Where heaves the turf:
anastrophe, a figure of speech that inverts the normal word order (the
turf heaves). (2)
Mould'ring: mouldering (British), moldering
(American), an adjective meaning decaying, crumbling. (3) Cell:
metaphor comparing a grave to a prison cell. (4) Rude: robust; sturdy;
hearty; stalwart. (4) Hamlet: village.
Stanza 5
17. The breezy call of incense-breathing
Morn,
18. The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,
19. The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
20. No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
18. The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,
19. The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn,
20. No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
Notes
(1)
Breezy call of incense-breathing
Morn: wind carrying the pleasant smells of morning, including dewy
grass and flowers. Notice that Morn is a metaphor comparing it to
a living creature. (It calls and breathes.) (2)
Swallow: Insect-eating
songbird that likes to perch. (3) Clarion: cock-a-doodle-doo. (4)
Echoing
horn: The words may refer to the sound made by a fox huntsman who blows
a copper horn to which pack hounds respond.
Stanza 6
21. For them no more the
blazing hearth shall burn,
22. Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
23. No children run to lisp their sire's return,
24. Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
22. Or busy housewife ply her evening care:
23. No children run to lisp their sire's return,
24. Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
Notes
(1)
hearth . . . housewife
. . . her: alliteration. (2) Climb his knees the envied kiss to
share: anastrophe, a figure of speech that inverts the normal word
order (to share the envied kiss).
Stanza 7
25. Oft did the harvest to
their sickle yield,
26. Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
27. How jocund did they drive their team afield!
28. How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
26. Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
27. How jocund did they drive their team afield!
28. How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
Notes
(1)
Sickle: Harvesting
tool with a handle and a crescent-shaped blade. Field hands swing it from
right to left to cut down plant growth. (2) Furrow: channel or groove
made by a plow for planting seeds. (3) Glebe: earth. (4) Jocund:
To maintain the meter, Gray uses an adjective when the syntax call for
an adverb, jocundly. Jocund (pronounced JAHK und) means cheerful.
Stanza 8
29. Let not Ambition mock
their useful toil,
30. Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
31. Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
32. The short and simple annals of the poor.
30. Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
31. Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
32. The short and simple annals of the poor.
Notes
(1)
Ambition: Personification
referring to the desire to succeed or to ambitious people seeking lofty
goals. (2) Destiny obscure: the humble fate of the common people;
their unheralded deeds. (3) Lines 29-30: anastrophe, a figure of speech
that inverts the normal word order (let not Ambition obscure their destiny
and homely joys).
(4) Grandeur: personification referring to people with wealth, social standing, and power. (5) Annals: historical records; story.
(4) Grandeur: personification referring to people with wealth, social standing, and power. (5) Annals: historical records; story.
Stanza 9
33. The boast of heraldry,
the pomp of pow'r,
34. And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
35. Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.
36. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
34. And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
35. Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.
36. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Notes
(1)
Boast of heraldry:
Proud talk about the aristocratic or noble roots of one's family; snobbery.
Heraldry was a science that traced family lines of royal and noble personages
and designed coats of arms for them. (2)
Pomp: ceremonies, rituals,
and splendid surroundings of nobles and royals. (3) Pomp of pow'r: alliteration.
(4) E'er: ever. General meaning of stanza: Every person—no matter
how important, powerful, or wealthy—ends up the same, dead.
Stanza 10
37. Nor you, ye proud, impute
to these the fault,
38. If Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
39. Where thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
40. The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
38. If Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
39. Where thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault
40. The pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
Notes
(1)
Impute: Assign,
ascribe. (2) Mem'ry: Memory, a personification referring to memorials,
commemorations, and tributes—including statues, headstones, and epitaphs—used
to preserve the memory of important or privileged people. (3) Where
thro' . . . the note of praise: Reference to the interior of a church
housing the tombs of important people. Fretted vault refers to a
carved or ornamented arched roof or ceiling. (4) Pealing anthem
may refer to lofty organ music.
Stanza 11
41. Can storied urn or animated
bust
42. Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
43. Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
44. Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
42. Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
43. Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
44. Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
Notes
(1)
Storied urn: Vase
adorned with pictures telling a story. Urns have sometimes been used to
hold the ashes of a cremated body. (2) Bust: sculpture of the head,
shoulders, and chest of a human. (3) Storied urn . . . breath? Can
the soul (fleeting breath) be called back to the body (mansion)
by the urn or bust back? Notice that urn and bust are personifications
that call. (4) Can Honour's . . . Death? Can honor (Honour's
voice) attributed to the dead person cause that person (silent dust)
to come back to life? Can flattering words (Flatt'ry) about the
dead person make death more "bearable"? (5)
General meaning of stanza:
Lines 41-45 continue the idea begun in Lines 37-40. In other words, can
any memorials—such as the trophies mentioned in Line 38, the urn and bust
mentioned in Line 41, and personifications (honor and flattery) mentioned
in Lines 43 and 44—bring a person back to life or make death less final
or fearsome?
Stanza 12
45. Perhaps in this neglected
spot is laid
46. Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
47. Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
48. Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre.
46. Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
47. Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
48. Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre.
Notes
(1)
Pregnant with celestial
fire: Full of great ideas, abilities, or goals (celestial fire).
(2) Rod of empire: scepter held by a king or an emperor during ceremonies.
One of the humble country folk in the cemetery might have become a king
or an emperor if he had been given the opportunity. (3) Wak'd . . .lyre:
Played beautiful music on a lyre, a stringed instrument. In other words,
one of the people in the cemetery could have become a great musician if
given the opportunity, "waking up" the notes of the lyre.
Stanza 13
49. But Knowledge to their
eyes her ample page
50. Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
51. Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,
52. And froze the genial current of the soul.
50. Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
51. Chill Penury repress'd their noble rage,
52. And froze the genial current of the soul.
Notes
(1)
Knowledge . . . unroll:
Knowledge did not reveal itself to them (their eyes) in books (ample
page) rich with treasures of information (spoils of time). (2) Knowledge
. . . unroll: Personification and anastrophe a figure of speech that
inverts the normal word order (knowledge did ne'er enroll). (3) Chill
. . . soul: Poverty (penury) repressed their enthusiasm (rage)
and froze the flow (current) of ideas (soul).
Stanza 14
53. Full many a gem of purest
ray serene,
54. The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
55. Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
56. And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
54. The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
55. Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
56. And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Note
Full . . . air: These
may be the most famous lines in the poem. Gray is comparing the humble
village people to undiscovered gems in caves at the bottom of the ocean
and to undiscovered flowers in the desert.
Stanza 15
57. Some village-Hampden,
that with dauntless breast
58. The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
59. Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
60. Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood.
58. The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
59. Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest,
60. Some Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood.
Notes
(1) John Hampden (1594-1643).
Hampden, a Puritan member of Parliament, frequently criticized and opposed
the policies of King Charles I. In particular, he opposed a tax imposed
by the king to outfit the British navy. Because he believed that only Parliament
could impose taxes, he refused to pay 20 shillings in ship money in 1635.
Many joined him in his opposition. War broke out between those who supported
Parliament and those who supported the king. Hampden was killed in battle
in 1643. Gray here is presenting Hampden as a courageous (dauntless)
hero who stood against the king (little tyrant). (2) Milton: John
Milton (1608-1674), the great English poet and scholar.
Stanza 16
61. Th' applause of list'ning
senates to command,
62. The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
63. To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
64. And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,
62. The threats of pain and ruin to despise,
63. To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
64. And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,
Notes
The subject and verb of Lines
61-64 are in the first three words of Line 65, their lot forbade.
Thus, this stanza says the villagers' way of life (lot) prohibited
or prevented them from receiving applause from politicians for good deeds
such as alleviating pain and suffering and providing plenty (perhaps food)
across the land. These deeds would have been recorded by the appreciating
nation.
Stanza 17
65. Their lot forbade: nor
circumscrib'd alone
66. Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd;
67. Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
68. And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
66. Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd;
67. Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
68. And shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
Note
General meaning: Their
lot in life not only prevented (circumbscrib'd) them from doing
good deeds (like those mentioned in Stanza 16) but also prevented (confin'd)
bad deeds such as killing enemies to gain the throne and refusing to show
mercy to people.
Stanza 18
69. The struggling pangs
of conscious truth to hide,
70. To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
71. Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
72. With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
70. To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
71. Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
72. With incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
Notes
(1)
General meaning:
This stanza continues the idea begun in the previous stanza, saying that
the villagers' lot in life also prevented them from hiding truth and shame
and from bragging or using pretty or flattering words (incense kindled
at the Muse's flame) to gain luxuries and feed their pride. (2) Muse's
flame: an allusion to sister goddesses in Greek and Roman mythology
who inspired writers, musicians, historians, dancers, and astronomers.
These goddesses were called Muses.
Stanza 19
73. Far from the madding
crowd's ignoble strife,
74. Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
75. Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
76. They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
74. Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
75. Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
76. They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
Note
(1) General meaning:
The villagers plodded on faithfully, never straying from their lot in life
as common people. (2) Madding: maddening; furious; frenzied. (3)
Noiseless
tenor of their way: quiet way of life.
Stanza 20
77. Yet ev'n these bones
from insult to protect,
78. Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
79. With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,
80. Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
78. Some frail memorial still erected nigh,
79. With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd,
80. Implores the passing tribute of a sigh.
Note
General meaning: But
even these people have gravestones (frail memorial), although they
are engraved with simple and uneducated words or decked with humble sculpture.
These gravestones elicit a sigh from people who see them.
Stanza 21
81. Their name, their years,
spelt by th' unletter'd muse,
82. The place of fame and elegy supply:
83. And many a holy text around she strews,
84. That teach the rustic moralist to die.
82. The place of fame and elegy supply:
83. And many a holy text around she strews,
84. That teach the rustic moralist to die.
Notes
(1)Their . . . supply:
Their name and age appear but there are no lofty tributes. (2) Unletter'd
muse: Uneducated writer or engraver. (2)
Holy text: probably
Bible quotations. (3) She: muse. See the second note for Stanza
18. (4) Rustic moralist: pious villager.
Stanza 22
85. For who to dumb Forgetfulness
a prey,
86. This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
87. Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
88. Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?
86. This pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
87. Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
88. Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?
Note
General meaning: These
humble people, though they were doomed to be forgotten (to dumb Forgetfulness
a prey), did not die (did not leave the warm precincts of cheerful
day) without looking back with regret and perhaps a desire to linger
a little longer .
Stanza 23
89. On some fond breast the
parting soul relies,
90. Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
91. Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
92. Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires.
90. Some pious drops the closing eye requires;
91. Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
92. Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires.
Note
General meaning: The
dying person (parting soul) relies on a friend (fond breast)
to supply the engraved words (pious drops) on a tombstone. Even
from the tomb the spirit of a person cries out for remembrance.
Stanza 24
93. For thee,
who mindful of th' unhonour'd Dead
94. Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
95. If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
96. Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate],
94. Dost in these lines their artless tale relate;
95. If chance, by lonely contemplation led,
96. Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate],
Notes
(1) For thee . . . relate:
Gray appears to be referring to himself. Mindful that the villagers deserve
some sort of memorial, he is telling their story (their artless tale)
in this elegy (these lines). (2) Lines 95-96: But what about
Gray himself? What if someone asks about his fate? Gray provides the answer
in the next stanza.
Stanza 25
97. Haply some hoary-headed
swain may say,
98. "Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
99. Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
100. To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
98. "Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn
99. Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
100. To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
Notes
(1) Haply: Perhaps;
by chance; by accident. (2) Hoary-headed swain: Gray-haired country
fellow; old man who lives in the region.
Stanza 26
101. "There at the foot of
yonder nodding beech
102. That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
103. His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
104. And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
102. That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
103. His listless length at noontide would he stretch,
104. And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
Notes
(1) Nodding: bending;
bowing. (2) Listless length: his tired body. (3) Pore upon:
Look at; watch.
Stanza 27
105. "Hard by yon wood, now
smiling as in scorn,
106. Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove,
107. Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,
108. Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.
106. Mutt'ring his wayward fancies he would rove,
107. Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn,
108. Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.
Notes
(1) Wood, now smiling
as in scorn: personification comparing the forest to a person. (2)
Wayward
fancies: unpredictable, unexpected, or unwanted thoughts; capricious
or flighty thoughts. (3) Rove: wander. (4) Craz'd . . . cross'd:
alliteration.
Stanza 28
109. "One morn I miss'd him
on the custom'd hill,
110. Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree;
111. Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
112. Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
110. Along the heath and near his fav'rite tree;
111. Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
112. Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
Notes
(1) Another came:
another morning came. (2) Nor yet: But he still was not. (3) Rill:
small stream or brook.
Stanza 29
113. "The next with dirges
due in sad array
114. Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne.
115. Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,
116. Grav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."
114. Slow thro' the church-way path we saw him borne.
115. Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,
116. Grav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."
Notes
(1) The next: the
next morning. (2) Dirges: funeral songs. (3) Lay: short poem—in
this case, the epitaph below.
THE EPITAPH
117. Here rests his
head upon the lap of Earth
118. A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
119. Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,
120. And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.
121. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
122. Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:
123. He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,
124. He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.
118. A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
119. Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,
120. And Melancholy mark'd him for her own.
121. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere,
122. Heav'n did a recompense as largely send:
123. He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a tear,
124. He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.
125. No farther seek
his merits to disclose,
126. Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
127. (There they alike in trembling hope repose)
128. The bosom of his Father and his God.
126. Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
127. (There they alike in trembling hope repose)
128. The bosom of his Father and his God.
Note
General meaning: Here
lies a man of humble birth who did not know fortune or fame but who did
become a scholar. Although he was depressed at times, he had a good life,
was sensitive to the needs of others, and followed God's laws. Don't try
to find out more about his good points or bad points, which are now with
him in heaven.
..
..
Death: the Great Equalizer
.......Even
the proud and the mighty must one day lie beneath the earth, like the humble
men and women now buried in the churchyard, as line 36 notes: The paths
of glory lead but to the grave. Lines 41-44 further point out that
no grandiose memorials and no flattering words about the deceased can bring
him or her back from death.
Can storied urn or animated bustMissed Opportunities
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can Honour's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
.......Because
of poverty or other handicaps, many talented people never receive the opportunities
they deserve. The following lines elucidate this theme through metaphors:
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,Here, the gem at the bottom of the ocean may represent an undiscovered musician, poet, scientist or philosopher. The flower may likewise stand for a person of great and noble qualities that are "wasted on the desert air." Of course, on another level, the gem and the flower can stand for anything in life that goes unappreciated.
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Virtue
.......In
their rural setting, far from the temptations of the cities and the courts
of kings, the villagers led virtuous lives, as lines 73-76 point out:
Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,Inversion
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
.......For
poetic effect, Gray frequently uses inversion (reversal of the normal word
order). Following are examples:
Line 6: And all the
air a solemn stillness holds (all the air holds a solemn stillness)
Line 14: Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap (Where the turf heaves)
Line 24: Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share. (Or climb his knees to share the envied kiss)
Line 79: With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd (deck'd with uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture)
Line 14: Where heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap (Where the turf heaves)
Line 24: Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share. (Or climb his knees to share the envied kiss)
Line 79: With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd (deck'd with uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture)
Gray also frequently uses
a commonplace poetic device known as syncope, the omission of letters or
sounds within a word.
The lowing herd wind slowly
o'er the lea (line 2)
Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight (line 5)
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r (line 9)
The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed (line 18)
Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight (line 5)
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r (line 9)
The swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed (line 18)
.......Following
are examples of figures of speech in the poem.
Alliteration
Repetition of a Consonant Sound
Repetition of a Consonant Sound
The plowman homeward plods his weary way (line 3)Anaphora
.
The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing horn (line 19)
.
Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind? (line 88)
.
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn (line 107)
.
Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love. (line 108)
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of word groups occurring one after the other
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave (line 34)Metaphor
Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse (line 81)Ev'n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
Ev'n in our ashes live their wonted fires. (lines 91-92)
Comparison between unlike things without using like, as, or than
Full many a gem of purest ray serene,Metonymy
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air. (lines 53-56)
Comparison of the dead village people to gems and flowers
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame. (lines 71-72)
Comparison of flattering words to incense
Use of a word or phrase to suggest a related word or phrase
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling landPersonification
Land stands for people.
A form of metaphor that compares a thing to a person
Let not Ambition mock their useful toilAssessment of the Poem
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the poor. (lines 29-32)
Ambition and Grandeur take on human characteristics.
But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page
Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll (line 49-50)
Notice that Knowledge becomes a person, a female.Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth,
And Melancholy mark'd him for her own. (lines 119-120)
Science and Melancholy become persons.
.......Scholars
regard "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" as one of the greatest poems
in the English language. It weaves structure, rhyme scheme, imagery and
message into a brilliant tapestry that confers on Gray everlasting fame.
The quality of its poetry and insights reach Shakespearean and Miltonian
heights.
.......Thomas
Gray was born in London on December 26, 1716. He was the only one of twelve
children who survived into adulthood. His father, Philip, a scrivener (a
person who copies text) was a cruel, violent man, but his mother, Dorothy,
believed in her son and operated a millinery business to educate him at
Eton school in his childhood and Peterhouse College, Cambridge, as a young
man.
.......He left the college in 1738 without a degree to tour Europe with his friend, Horace Walpole, the son of the first prime minister of England, Robert Walpole (1676-1745). However, Gray did earn a degree in law although he never practiced in that profession. After achieving recognition as a poet, he refused to give public lectures because he was extremely shy. Nevertheless, he gained such widespread acclaim and respect that England offered him the post of poet laureate, which would make him official poet of the realm. However, he rejected the honor. Gray was that rare kind of person who cared little for fame and adulation.
.......He left the college in 1738 without a degree to tour Europe with his friend, Horace Walpole, the son of the first prime minister of England, Robert Walpole (1676-1745). However, Gray did earn a degree in law although he never practiced in that profession. After achieving recognition as a poet, he refused to give public lectures because he was extremely shy. Nevertheless, he gained such widespread acclaim and respect that England offered him the post of poet laureate, which would make him official poet of the realm. However, he rejected the honor. Gray was that rare kind of person who cared little for fame and adulation.
- Gray was the only one of twelve children who survived childhood. Do you believe the memory of his dead brothers and sisters influenced him in the writing of his poem?
- What was Gray's opinion of high-born persons vis-a-vis the low-born?
- Write an essay that develops the idea expressed in line 36: The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
- Read "Ozymandias," a poem by another English writer, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Then write an essay that compares and contrasts Shelley's idea of posthumous glory with Gray's.
- In an essay, discuss Gray's use of animal and insect imagery in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."
- Which of the following adjectives best describes the mood of the elegy: peaceful, gloomy, solemn, desolate, morbid?
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