How
does Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” anticipate Romanticism ?
Answer with close textual references.
Thomas Gray
is generally and rightly regarded as a transitional figure in 18th century
poetry, providing a bridge between the poetic sensibility of his own generation
and the Romantic revolution of the future. His work shows the relation between
the poetry of the new age and that of the 18th century. Several aspects of his
poetry show the trends in the direction of romanticism, but he could never
really escape form the spirit of the age in which he lived.
Let us
discuss about the romantic elements of the poem:
At
first, subjectivity is the most important element in romantic literature. In
the same way, we see that the poet ends the first stanza- begins the poem- with
the subjective word ‘me’-
‘And
leaves the world to darkness and to me’
Again, he
ends this poem with his own epitaph that will, in future, be read beside his
grave. So this poem is circular from/with subjectively to subjectivity.
The
main theme of the poem is death we can consider to be the romantic
element. Here, at the first stanza, the ‘parting day’(evening) and the
‘darkness’ are the symbols of the death. Then the poet mentions about death of
the forefathers of the village, and at last the thought of his own death.
Nature is the vital element of romanticism. In this poem, from beginning to
end, the poet’s description possesses nature. Then, village is the symbol of
nature, and he shows the superiority of the village and villagers. Moreover,
his most of the imageries are taken from nature. For example,
The lowing herd wind slowly over
the lea
The plowman home ward plods his weary way
Besides,
there are owl’s complaint, twittering of swallow, loud and shrill crowing of
cock, the echoing horn of the hunt man and so on. Here one thing can be
mentioned that in neo-classic literature nature was almost absent. For
instances, in the ‘Rape of the Lock’ written by pope, representative of the
age, nature was absolutely absent.....................................................................
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