Thomas Gray/Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

Abstract: A 5 page essay that analyzes Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," an enigmatic in which Gray does not disclose precisely for whom he mourns. In other words, the reader is left to guess at the identity of the "youth" whose epitaph make up the final twelve lines of the poem. Is it the poet, foreseeing his own demise? Or, an ode to someone whom he loved? It is difficult to say; however, the emotions that the poem engenders in the heart of the reader are more distinct. This poem leaves the reader feeling nostalgic toward the simple life of the agrarian past. The latter part of the poem leaves the reader feeling pensive and reflective on the sanctity and transient nature of life, which causes one to identify with the unfortunate young man described at the end of poem who has passed away in the flower of youth. No additional sources cited.

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Catagory:

Subcatagory: Poetry

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