Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray

An elegy is a poem of sorrow or mourning for the dead; also, a reflective poem in a solemn or sorrowful mood.  The adjective ‘elegiac’ is used to describe poetry that exhibits the characteristics of an elegy.

Well-known elegies lamenting the death of a particular person include John Milton's Lycidas (Edward King), P.B. Shelley's Adonais (John Keats), Alfred Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam (Arthur H. Hallam), and Walt Whitman's When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd (Abraham Lincoln). Perhaps the most famous elegy, Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, is a solemn, meditative poem mourning not the death of a person, but the passing of a way of life. Closely related terms of elegy are monody, threnody, and dirge

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The main characteristics of the elegy are:

1) It opens with a lamentation for the death of the speaker's dear friend.

2) In its middle part, the speaker idealizes and admires the dead.

3) The society is criticized for doing injustice to the dead and for not allowing the dead person to do what he could have done.

4) The speaker feels the presence of the dead friend around him.

5) It raises serious spiritual questions about the nature of life and death, and about the immortality of the soul.

6) In its closing part the speaker finds consolation and solace.

7) It is about a single dead person. However, Gray's mourning for all the dead villagers in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is an exception.

8) It is meditative in nature.

9) Its tone is grave.

“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” – Thomas Gray (1751) is one of the most famous poems in English literature. It is a reflective poem written in a quiet, rural graveyard at evening, where the poet meditates on death, ordinary people, and human ambition. This famous poem was begun in the vear 1742 and finished in 1749. It was written or meditated in the churchyard at Stoke Poges where Gray's mother and aunt resided after his father's death. There is, however, little in the poem to 'localize' it. In other words, it could have been inspired by any country churchyard. The feelings and thoughts expressed in this poem are permanent and universal. There is nothing exceptional here, for Gray is the singer of the humble, poor, neglected folk of the village. The poem has a simple philosophy and a calmness of emotion. "To what greatness might these villagers have aspired ?" is the poet's theme. Around this, he has built a perfect poem that has become part of the English language, full of sympathy, sincerity, and simplicity.  It brought immediate recognition to Gray but no money. It has retained a higher reputation in literature than any other English poem written between Milton and Wordsworth.It is one of the five greatest English elegies. The other four are Milton’s Lycidas, Shelley’s Adonais, Tennyson’s In Memoriam, and Arnold’s Thyrsis.

The poem, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” reflects 18th-century humanism and sympathy for the poor and is written in elegiac quatrains (ABAB rhyme scheme) . It is a calm, solemn, and deeply emotional poem that gives dignity to ordinary people. It mixes personal emotion with universal truth.

Major Themes of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” :

1. Inevitability of Death

Gray shows that death is the ultimate equalizer. All men are subject to death- it is not respecter of high birth, worldly power, beauty, or wealth. “The paths of glory lead but to the grave. “This line reminds us that fame, wealth, and success cannot prevent death.

 Rich or poor, powerful or humble, everyone must die. In "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' he has personified death. He says that nothing can "soothe the dull cold ear of Death". He has treated it as a powerful equalizer who does not draw any line between the poor and the rich. The rich people who ignore the poor villagers' graveyard are also subject to death. The "boast of heraldry" or the "pomp of power" cannot protect them from death. Those who are proud and ambitious, those who live in luxury and leave behind people to sing songs in their praise "Awaits alike the' inevitable hour" of death. The humble hard workers of the villages live and die unknown like the unknown the precious gem at the bottom of the ocean. Or, they die unknown like the flowers which bloom and perish away unseen in deserts. On the other hand, the rich are educated and rise to power through bloodshed enjoy all that wealth can offer. They may have "the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault". They may also have the "pealing anthem" that "swells the note of praise". But nothing can bring back the fleeting breath, whether the dead is a poor or a rich. It is because the "paths of glory lead but to the grave".

All men are subject to death. Death is not respecter of high birth, worldly power, beauty, or wealth. “The paths of glory lead but to the grave. “This line reminds us that fame, wealth, and success cannot prevent death.

2. Equality of All Human Beings

In the grave, kings and common people are equal. The villagers may be poor and unknown, but their humanity is no less valuable.

“The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power…
Await alike the’ inevitable hour.”

3. Lost Potential of the Poor

Gray suggests that many buried villagers may have had great talents, but poverty denied them the opportunity to develop them.

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.

In these lines the poet has used three historical English names to glorify the humble villagers now buried in the country churchyard. After comparing the unknown dead villagers, with gems and desert flowers, the poet compares them with great historical figures. He compares their courage with the courage of Hampden, the M.P. for Buckinghamshire, who revolted against the imposition of the tax on ship-money and was killed for that during the reign of Charles I (1625-1649). The humble villagers' courage was seen in cultivating the hard fields. Then the poet compares some of the dead villagers with Milton who was not well known during his lifetime. By this comparison the poet suggests that there might have been somebody in that village who had the genius of Milton but could not come to limelight because of adverse situation. Finally, the poet compares the villagers with Oliver Cromwell who fought against Charles I and defeated him. By this comparison, the poet suggests that in this churchyard is buried somebody who could have been a valorous leader against injustice. By these three metaphorical comparisons, Gray has suggested the dormant courage, genius and glory of the humble villagers who never when they were alive.

“Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear…”

This metaphor means: many brilliant people remain unnoticed because they never get a chance.

4. Rural Simplicity and Peace

The poem praises simple village life—honest labor, family love, and quiet dignity. Gray contrasts this with the artificial pride of city life and the elite.

The speaker describes those buried in the churchyard as humble, poor, and modest. They worked hard in the field from dawn to dusk. Every day they returned from their work in the evening very tired. Their children and wives received them with love and care. Given opportunities, they could have been Hampden, Milton, or Cromwell. But "Chill Peury" did not allow them to flourish their potentialities. They did not have the opportunities to acquire knowledge. However, their humble fate also does not allow them to commit crimes. Their fate "Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne." After death, they had simple graves that were not well maintained. Turf heaved on the heap of soil on each grave. The tombs bore the mark of poverty. In contrast to the graves of people, these villagers' graves were neglected. They did not have "storied urn or animated bust". Nobody heaped their graves with flattery, luxury or pride. They had sober wishes which were always fulfilled. The speaker reflects that the luxurious life of the rich is no way better than the life of the villagers since "The paths of glory lead but to the grave".

5.Desire to be remembered after death

The poet next refers to the humble tombstones on which the names and ages of the dead are engraved. These engravings and inscriptions, though awkwardly executed, serve to commemorate the dead men and fulfil an essential need. Everybody, while dying, casts a regretful eye on this world and feels an intense desire to be remembered lovingly after his exit from here. A dying man finds much comfort in seeing a dear friend with tears of sympathy and affection in his eyes. Even after death when all is dust and ashes, this desire for loving remembrance is keenly felt. The inscriptions on the tombstones in this churchyard are thus a fulfilment of that natural desire. Here the poet has stated a deep psychological fact. Such, indeed, is human nature that, when dying, we wish to be remembered affectionately. (Stanzas 20-23)

 Easily speaking, humans naturally wish to be remembered after death. Even the poor want some sign that they lived and mattered.

6. The Poet’s Own Mortality

 In the final part, Gray imagines how he himself will be remembered after death. This makes the poem personal and emotional.

Before his death, Gray wrote twelve lines for the epitaph of his own grave. These lines suggest that he accepted his oncoming death with stoic resignation as he accepted his chequered life. During his lifetime he was not happy with his name and fame. For this reason, he says here very modestly that he was unknown to name and fame. He was learned though he came of an unknown family. However, he was never happy in life, especially with his friends. As a result, he remained down hearted in the last few years of his life. These four lines, thus, is a brief sketch of his life. These lines are full of modesty and pathos well matched with the mourning mood of the poem. Here the life and death of the humble rural people have been glorified.

 According to the poet, they led an honest and peaceful life. They did not have enough power to commit shameful crimes. Their fate did not allow them to spread their virtues all over the country. The poet too led an honest life. He was not known for his poetic power. But his heart was great. He became friendless when one of his only two friends died and a misunderstanding spoilt the friendship with the other one who became the Prime Minister of England.

Note:                          

Hampden: Here the reference is to John Hampden (1594-1643), who was the M.P. for Buckinghamshire during the reign of  Charles-I who was the king of England from 1625 to 1649. Charles-I was a hot-headed king. He imposed new taxes on ship money without the approval of the Parliament. Hampden protested against that new tax and organised the people not to pay the tax on ship money. He was the cousin of Oliver Cromwell who fought against Charles-I and finally defeated the king. King's people stabbed Hampden to death. Hampden, thus, became a symbol of fearless protesters. Here the poet refers to Hampden to suggest that these unknown and humble village people were as fearless as Hampden though their area of protest was not as large and significant as that of Hampden.

Milton: Gray refers to John Milton, the famous English poet of the 17th century. During his life time Milton was politically cornered because of his belief in Puritanism. Throughout his life he pursued truth for which he had to suffer a lot. He did not receive any royal favour. For all these reasons, he did not come to lime light during his life. Gray here compares the unknown villagers with Milton to suggest hidden fame.

Cromwell: This is a reference to Oliver Cromwell who ruled England from 1649 to 1658. He was in army under the command of King Charles-I. Later on, he supported the puritan leaders who protested against the misrule of Charles-1. He fought against the army of the king and defeated them. Under his leadership, the king was imprisoned, tried and beheaded in 1649. After the death of the king, Cromwell became the ruler of England. He was known for his bravery. Gray here compares the villagers with him to indicate that there might have been a few persons like Cromwell in that village but they did not get chance to show their bravery.

Critical Appreciation

"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is the best poem of Thomas Gray, written between 1746 and 1750. It is an elegy in form, written primarily to mourn the death of the villagers buried at Stoke Poges, but it mainly mourns the death of simplicity of life.

An elegy begins with the description of nature reflecting a gloomy atmosphere that matches well with the sorrowful mood of the mourners. Similarly, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" sets the elegiac mood in the first three stanzas in keeping with the convention of the elegy. The parting day, "lowing herd", weary ploughman, "glimmering landscape", droning of beetles, hooting of the owl, are all used to create an atmosphere that adequately reflects the desired sorrowful mood suitable for the mourner.

This "Elegy" consists of 32 stanzas. Each stanza consists of four iambic pentameter lines for which they are called heroic quatrains. In the first three quatrains the poet has created a suitable atmosphere required for mourning the death of near and dear ones. Gray selects evening for the time of mourning. This gives him the advantage of suggesting both the ends of a day and the end of life. The evening also suggests the oncoming darkness and night in nature, and grief and melancholy in human mind. The melancholic atmosphere of the evening has been intensified by a reference to the grief-stricken silence. It is further enhanced by the sound of the curfew bell, the droning of the beetle, the occasional hooting of the owl and the dying sound coming from the tinkling of the bells fastened round the necks of the sheep in the distant folds. Gray very carefully creates the setting of the poem in order to set the mood of mourning in the first three stanzas. Needless to say that the evening, the approaching night and its darkness, prevailing stillness and the fading sounds contribute to this melancholic mood harmonious to the mourning that follows.In every consideration it is a unique elegy in English.

According to H. M. Abrams the elegy is "a formal and sustained lament in verse for the death of a particular person, usually ending in a consolation." It is a kind of lyric, meditative in nature. It begins with a description of gloomy atmosphere that sets the mood of mourning. "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a famous elegy that deals with the mortality of human beings in general and the decay of a cherished way of life in particular. It has a pastoral setting, melancholic enough to sustain the grief of the mourner. However, instead of the death of a particular person, it mourns the death of the poor villagers and their simple way of life. It ends traditionally with consolation like any other elegy. Then, following the tradition, the mourner reveals that he is sorrowful because of the dead villagers buried in the country churchyard. This revelation is followed by a description of the simple pastoral life of the poor villagers. The humble life style of the villagers praised between the fourth and seventh stanzas demands sympathy and respect .

Next, the mourner speaker accuses the ambitious rich people of neglecting these poor villagers and censures their pompous way of life. This expression of dissatisfaction at the present way of life is another convention of the elegy. After this criticism of the rich, Gray refers to the universal law of death and the ultimate desire of every human heart.

But Gray digresses from the tradition in that he passes on from the villagers to his own fate. He anticipates his own death and hopes that a shepherd will be his mourner. Thus, he merges the universal with the particular. However, he follows the elegiac tradition in closing the poem with consolation. He consoles himself expecting God's forgiveness after his death.

"Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is, therefore, an exceptional elegy. It follows the tradition of the pastoral elegy in creating a congenial setting, appreciating the life of the dead, censuring the decay of traditional values, and ending the poem with consolation. But Gray deviates from the tradition in allowing the mourner to lament for all the dead villagers instead of a particular person, in anticipating his own death and his own mourner.

Gray glorifies the simplicity of country life in this elegy:

Conventionally, an elegy mourns the death of a very close friend. But in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard", instead of a single friend, Thomas Gray mourns for all the dead villagers of Stoke Poges as well as for the decline of simple life. To mourn the deaths of the villagers, he compares and contrasts them with the urban rich. In the process the simplicity of the country life has been glorified.

A sad tone to mourn the deaths of the villagers lying in their graves is set in the first few stanzas. Then, the simple, unknown villagers lying in the neglected churchyard have been contrasted with the rich, proud and ambitious people. The vanity of sophisticated people has been ironically revealed, and in the process, the simple life of the poor ordinary people has been glorified. The "ambition" of the powerful people has been contrasted with the "homely joys" of the ordinary villagers. The "disdainful smile" of the rich has been contrasted with the "simple annals of the poor". Similarly, the pomp of power and wealth, and the "pealing anthem" at the decorated grave of the proud people are in contrast with the simple tombs of the villagers. The poet has used negative or disapproving epithets like "pomp of pow'r", "disdainful smile", "pealing anthem", "storied urn" and "animated bust" for the ambitious rich people. But he has used approving epithets like "homely joys" and "simple annals of the poor" for the country people. His disliking for the artificiality of the boastful urban people and his sympathy for the poor villagers become transparent when he says, "The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

The poet, further, glorifies the "rude forefathers" by referring to the possibilities that these common people had. Given chances, perhaps some of these poor people could have been a Milton or an Oliver Cromwell or a Hampden. But these people did not have any opportunity. The poet has also compared them with the gems of the oceans and the flowers of the desert that wither away unknown. These people never killed others to grab power. They had never been ashamed of committing crimes. They were not ambitious and so they could happily fulfil their humble wishes. Thus, the poet has glorified the dead humble villagers in particular and the simplicity of the common life in general. His treatment of the villagers has a touch of deep pathos.

Diction and imagery of "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard".

 Thomas Gray was the poet of a time when a transition from Neo-classical ideals to that of romanticism was taking place. Naturally, the trends of classicism and romanticism run in his poems. Within the classical framework the diction and the imagery he uses here are functional. His selection of words and choice of imagery successfully create the desired elegiac mood and convey the intended meaning.

Gray uses a grand style in this "Elegy". Though there are monosyllabic or disyllabic words, there are also tri-syllabic and multi-syllabic words arranged in such a way that they impart a flair of grandiose to the diction, for example, "glimmering" "Ambition". "heraldry", "celestial", "Forgetfulness" and the like. Moreover, he piles up epithets in Greek manner. For example. "parting day","lowly bed", "blazing hearth", "fretted vault", "fleeting breath", "ignoble strife" are all original and startling expressions made by epithets plus nouns. He has also made use of personifications in classical manner. For instance, "Ambition", Grandeur", "Memory", "Death", "Knowledge", "Pride", "Melancholy", "Misery" and so on are personifications in the style of the Augustan poets. These epithets and personifications do not harm the elegance of the poem,

The imagery of the poem is vivid and highly suggestive. For example, in the setting of the melancholic mood, the atmosphere of the evening has been evoked by a number of word pictures. They are: the herd walking down following a winding path over the grass land, the villagers returning home after day-long hard labour with tired steps, the fading light of the sun, the sounds of the beetle, owls and bells. All these images are clear and vivid and contribute to the melancholic mood of the poem. Similarly, the images of the unknown gems and flowers are highly suggestive. The images of the churchyard beneath the old elms and the image of the poet lying under a tree near a brook at noon are really vivid and suggestive. All these images, rich in associative meaning, create a suitable atmosphere for mourning and heighten the poetic effect.

So, the diction and imagery chosen for the poem are functional rather than decorative. They are well-matched with the melancholic mood of the elegy. They create a proper atmosphere and convey the sublime feelings of the speaker.

The poem has both classical and romantic elements in it. The grave tone, the didacticism, the heroic verse lines and the formal diction are classical elements. On the other hand, choice of nature as setting, selection of common people as characters, melancholic note, criticism of social vanities and nostalgic note are romantic elements. The poem is mainly objective but there are a few subjective touches. It is a unique creation rich in varieties. It is traditional yet innovative.