The Declaration of Independence contains a snippet about the equality of men; a topic interesting to 18th century authors. The speakers in Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” and in Goldsmith’s “The Deserted Village” utilize the themes of death and isolation in order to represent the different social classes. Goldsmith’s speaker idealizes and mourns the decay of rural life, while Gray’s speaker equalizes the different classes. . This essay examines the difference between these two depictions
“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is a poem composed by Thomas Gray over a period of ten years. Beginning shortly after the death of his close friend Richard West in 1742, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” was first published in 1751. This poem’s use of dubbal entendre may lead the intended audience away from the overall theme of death, mourning, loss, despair and sadness; however, this poem clearly uses several literary devices to convey the author’s feelings toward the death of his
Deathly Equal A Perspective of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Life, is commonly not how we act ourselves, but rather how we react to any of the circumstances that we might find ourselves in. Our opinions and perspectives will have more influence over how we conduct ourselves than any sort of fact ever will. The Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard has many underlying themes to go along with the themes that are clearly evident from the surface. Also, we must go to Andrew Dillon and his use
Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” is significant in that it not only mourns the death of common men but also examines how they ought to be remembered after their death. The speaker does not create a separation between rich and poor but regards everyone as equal. His main goal is to depict the reality that everyone must die. This poem carries a moralistic side about human life. Gray points out that the rich and proud should not mock at the simple life of the poor when in reality
” This expression demonstrates how elegies can be psychological and literary devices used to convey serious feelings of reconceiving a lost wonder as the subject of lamentation “slips” with time (Harbus 186). What this quote fails to show, however, is that elegies are more than forms of communication between the poet and the reader. As noted by Michele T. Sharp, below the surface, elegies are also used for establishing a “poetic stature”. By publishing an elegy, a poet makes a statement that calls
person has passed away, the only thing that is remembered is how hard the person worked, how much they contributed to the common good of society. A famous writer and poet seemed to come to this conclusion in the end. Thomas Grey’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard addresses death as being the great equalizer, the simple people are the ones who matter in society, and only certain things are left behind that really matter after death. Initially, Grey states that death is the great equalizer. Within
Formal Approach to Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a very structured poem with a set number of lines per stanza, and a specific rhyme scheme throughout the entire poem. The poem focuses on Gray's thoughts while he visits a country churchyard, and ends with an epitaph written on one of the tombstones in the churchyard. The setting of a country churchyard automatically gives way to a small and unknown graveyard
The Pastoral Ideal in Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard Thomas Gray’s "Elegy Wrote in a Country Churchyard" portrays the pastoral ideal through many different images. The traditional pastoral notion of idyllic life changes in this poem to form a connection with people themselves. The speaker of this poem creates a process by which laborers come to symbolize the perfection of the pastoral through their daily toils. These people come to represent the ideal form of pastoral
Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard By combining the formal and dialogical approaches, patterns and voices within the text seemingly interplay and overlap to reveal a deeper sense of the author's intentions. While the formalistic analysis focuses on the text and the unfolding themes within, the dialogical analysis recognizes "...the essential indeterminacy of meaning outside of the dialogic - and hence open - relationship between voices" (HCAL 349). When applied to "Elegy Written
Feminist Reading of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard While Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" overtly deals with the distinction between social class and the opportunity for greatness, the poem also contains a subtle yet strong message against the dominant role of men over women in society. Gray's tone throughout the poem is permeated with regret and a sense of something lost, voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudice. This emotional tone
Dialogical and Formalistic Approach to Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard Elegy in a Country Courtyard, by Thomas Gray, can be looked at through two different methods. First the Dialogical Approach, which covers the ability of the language of the text to address someone without the consciousness that the exchange of language between the speaker and addressee occurs. (HCAL, 349) The second method is the Formalistic Approach, which allows the reader to look at a literary piece, and
A Comparison of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard and Bryant's Thanatopsis Thomas Gray and William Cullen Bryant both chose to write about nature and death being intertwined. Since Thomas Gray lived in a time of social injustice, he chose to use death to illustrate the problems inherent in a socially stratified society. William Cullen Bryant, on the other hand, lived in a rapidly expanding young nation that cherished the vast amounts of untouched nature and he used
Since the beginning of the world, every human being has questioned his or her place in the world and what he or she can be able to achieve. “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas and “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray are two poems that transmit the same message. The two poems convey the importance of life’s meaning and transience; however, the methods the authors use to convey this are distinctive. The poem “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” describes
heartaches. Because of this, Gray turned to writing to ease the pain. Death and its problems were the main topic in most of his poems. As a writer, Thomas Gray inspired other people to think about their emotions and death with his poem, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard.” Thomas Gray’s poetry was called Pre-Romantic poetry which put a focus on nature and the life of common people.1 The subjects of death, suicide, and physical decay have always been on people’s mind. During Gray’s time, sadness was
An elegy is a poem of lament, usually formal and sustained, over the death of a particular person; also, a meditative poem in plaintive or sorrowful mood. Through an elegy authors are able to convey their deepest remorse and grief through the eloquent use of the English language. Three elegies in which show the possible interpretations and moral convictions of death are “Elegy for Jane”, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”, and “A Satirical Elegy”. Jane's unfortunate death in an equestrian accident
happened if I were in their shoes, and what would have happened if they wouldn’t have been so lucky. In the same way, Thomas Gray, the author of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” writes about how he imagines peoples’ lives that are dead, and then imagines his own and how people will think of him after he passes. In Gary’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” there are three messages learned about death. Initially, Gray suggests that death is the great equalizer. According to his piece, he makes
respect or admire something you aren’t familiar with? Now to start off, The Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard poem was written by Thomas Gray, and was finished in 1750 and eventually published in 1751. The sole reason for its being created is unknown, but it is, in part, inspired by Gray’s thoughts following the death of the poet Richard West in 1742. In the beginning it was called Stanza's Wrote in a Country Churchyard. The poem was completed near St Giles' parish church at Stoke Poges. Thomas
Elegy Written in a Country Chrchyard Thomas Gray’s Elegy laments the death of life in general while mourning long gone ancestors and exhibiting the transition made by the speaker, from grief and mourning to acceptance and hope. It was written in 1742 and revised to its published form in 1746, and is one of the three highlights of the elegiac form in English literature, the others being Milton’s “Lycidas” and Tennyson’s In Memoriam. It was first published, anonymously, in 1751, under the title
Gray knew very little about the struggles of the common man. Still, the attempt at establishing a connection between himself and those in the classes below, was not unnoticed as the elegy became his most well-known publication. The year before Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard was published, the European countries suffered several tax revolts from the public, a slave revolt and numerous natural disasters. All factors of a larger distrust separating the commoners and the rich. Gray associating
Addison's "Campaign" and Gray's "Elegy". (Joseph Addison)(Thomas Gray) Rodney Stenning Edgecombe. Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2004 Heldref Publications In the meditation set at the heart of the "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," which he completed in 1750, Gray notes that deprivation curtails opportunities for evil as well as for good. Chief amongst these is violent individual ambition, which Gray deplores (in marked contrast to Addison's "Campaign" of 1704, which had celebrated the military success