"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary
"Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard" is a poem written by Thomas Gray and published in 1751. It is
considered one of the greatest elegiac poems in the English language. The poem
reflects on the lives and deaths of common rural people buried in a churchyard.
The poem begins with a description
of a secluded country churchyard at dusk. The speaker, who is standing in the
churchyard, contemplates the quiet and serene surroundings. The setting evokes
a sense of tranquility and contemplation.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary-The speaker then reflects on the lives of the simple villagers buried in the churchyard. He acknowledges that these individuals were not famous or influential in the larger world, but they led honest and humble lives. The speaker ponders the fact that they never had the opportunity to fulfill their potential or achieve greatness due to their limited circumstances.
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Gray suggests that buried in this
quiet churchyard are unfulfilled dreams, untapped potential, and unrecognized
talents. The speaker wonders about the lives these villagers could have lived
if given the chance, imagining that some of them might have been great poets,
thinkers, or leaders.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary-As the poem progresses, the speaker
contemplates the inevitability of death and the universal fate that awaits all
people, regardless of their station in life. He acknowledges the equality of
death, as death does not discriminate based on social status or wealth. The
speaker reflects on the futility of human ambition and the transitory nature of
worldly achievements.
Towards the end of the poem, the
speaker expresses the desire for the lives of these villagers to be remembered
and respected. He suggests that their contributions, though unrecognized, were
valuable in their own right. The speaker emphasizes the importance of humility and
the dignity of labor, highlighting the virtue of leading a virtuous and
honorable life.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary-The poem concludes with the
realization that death comes to everyone, regardless of their accomplishments
or ambitions. The speaker acknowledges the universality of death and encourages
the reader to reflect on their own mortality and the legacy they will leave
behind.
In summary, "Elegy Written in
a Country Churchyard" is a reflective poem that contemplates the lives and
deaths of ordinary villagers buried in a rural churchyard. It explores themes
of mortality, ambition, and the value of a humble and virtuous life.
Elegy Written in a
Country Churchyard Poem
The curfew tolls the knell of
parting day,
The
lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his
weary way,
And
leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Now fades the glimm'ring landscape
on the sight,
And
all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save where the beetle wheels his
droning flight,
And
drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds;
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled
tow'r
The
moping owl does to the moon complain
Of such, as wand'ring near her
secret bow'r,
Molest
her ancient solitary reign.
Beneath those rugged elms, that
yew-tree's shade,
Where
heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap,
Each in his narrow cell for ever
laid,
The
rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.
The breezy call of
incense-breathing Morn,
The
swallow twitt'ring from the straw-built shed,
The cock's shrill clarion, or the
echoing horn,
No
more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
For them no more the blazing hearth
shall burn,
Or
busy housewife ply her evening care:
No children run to lisp their
sire's return,
Or
climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
Oft did the harvest to their sickle
yield,
Their
furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke;
How jocund did they drive their
team afield!
How
bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
Let not Ambition mock their useful
toil,
Their
homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful
smile
The
short and simple annals of the poor.
The boast of heraldry, the pomp of
pow'r,
And
all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Awaits alike th' inevitable hour.
The
paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Nor you, ye proud, impute to these
the fault,
If
Mem'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise,
Where thro' the long-drawn aisle
and fretted vault
The
pealing anthem swells the note of praise.
Can storied urn or animated bust
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?
Perhaps in this neglected spot is
laid
Some
heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
Hands, that the rod of empire might
have sway'd,
Or
wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre.
But Knowledge to their eyes her
ample page
Rich
with the spoils of time did ne'er unroll;
Chill Penury repress'd their noble
rage,
And
froze the genial current of the soul.
Full many a gem of purest ray
serene,
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.
Some village-Hampden, that with
dauntless breast
The
little tyrant of his fields withstood;
Some mute inglorious Milton here
may rest,
Some
Cromwell guiltless of his country's blood.
Th' applause of list'ning senates
to command,
The
threats of pain and ruin to despise,
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land,
And
read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes,
Their lot forbade: nor
circumscrib'd alone
Their
growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd;
Forbade to wade through slaughter
to a throne,
And
shut the gates of mercy on mankind,
The struggling pangs of conscious
truth to hide,
To
quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and
Pride
With
incense kindled at the Muse's flame.
Far from the madding crowd's
ignoble strife,
Their
sober wishes never learn'd to stray;
Along the cool sequester'd vale of
life
They
kept the noiseless tenor of their way.
Yet ev'n these bones from insult to
protect,
Some
frail memorial still erected nigh,
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless
sculpture deck'd,
Implores
the passing tribute of a sigh.
Their name, their years, spelt by
th' unletter'd muse,
The
place of fame and elegy supply:
And many a holy text around she
strews,
That
teach the rustic moralist to die.
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a
prey,
This
pleasing anxious being e'er resign'd,
Left the warm precincts of the
cheerful day,
Nor
cast one longing, ling'ring look behind?
On some fond breast the parting
soul relies,
Some
pious drops the closing eye requires;
Ev'n from the tomb the voice of
Nature cries,
Ev'n
in our ashes live their wonted fires.
For thee, who mindful of th'
unhonour'd Dead
Dost
in these lines their artless tale relate;
If chance, by lonely contemplation
led,
Some
kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,
Haply some hoary-headed swain may
say,
"Oft
have we seen him at the peep of dawn
Brushing with hasty steps the dews
away
To
meet the sun upon the upland lawn.
"There at the foot of yonder
nodding beech
That
wreathes its old fantastic roots so high,
His listless length at noontide
would he stretch,
And
pore upon the brook that babbles by.
"Hard by yon wood, now smiling
as in scorn,
Mutt'ring
his wayward fancies he would rove,
Now drooping, woeful wan, like one
forlorn,
Or
craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love.
"One morn I miss'd him on the
custom'd hill,
Along
the heath and near his fav'rite tree;
Another came; nor yet beside the
rill,
Nor
up the lawn, nor at the wood was he;
"The next with dirges due in
sad array
Slow
thro' the church-way path we saw him borne.
Approach and read (for thou canst
read) the lay,
Grav'd
on the stone beneath yon aged thorn."
THE EPITAPH
Here rests his head upon the lap of
Earth
A
youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
Fair Science frown'd not on his
humble birth,
And
Melancholy mark'd him for her own.
Large was his bounty, and his soul
sincere,
Heav'n
did a recompense as largely send:
He gave to Mis'ry all he had, a
tear,
He
gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend.
No farther seek his merits to
disclose,
Or
draw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in trembling hope
repose)
The
bosom of his Father and his God.
Conclusion
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray is a profound and contemplative poem that explores the themes of mortality, the transitory nature of worldly achievements, and the value of a humble and virtuous life.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary-Through vivid descriptions of a quiet churchyard and reflections on the lives of ordinary villagers, the poem urges readers to reflect on their own mortality and consider the legacy they will leave behind.
"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray Poem Summary-It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the worth and potential of every individual, regardless of their social status, and encourages a humble appreciation for the simple joys of life. Overall, the poem invites readers to contemplate the fleeting nature of existence and the enduring impact of a life lived with integrity and virtue.
FAQ.
Q: Who is the author of "Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard"?
A: The author of "Elegy
Written in a Country Churchyard" is Thomas Gray.
Q: When was "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"
published?
A: The poem was published in 1751.
Q: What are the main themes of "Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard"?
A: The main themes of the poem
include mortality, the transitory nature of worldly achievements, the value of
a humble and virtuous life, and the recognition of the worth and potential of
every individual.
Q: What is the tone of "Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard"?
A: The tone of the poem is
reflective, contemplative, and melancholic.
Q: What is the central message or takeaway of the poem?
A: The central message of the poem revolves around the recognition of the worth and potential of every individual, the transitory nature of worldly achievements, and the importance of leading a humble and virtuous life. It encourages readers to reflect on their mortality and consider the legacy they will leave behind.
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