Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard - Literary Devices

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
by Thomas Gray

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary manner,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimm’ring panorama at the sight,
And all the air a solemn stillness holds,
Save wherein 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 close to her mystery bow’r,
Molest her historical solitary reign.

Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree’s shade,
Where heaves the turf in lots of a mould’ring heap,
Each in his narrow cellular 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 extra shall rouse them from their lowly bed.

For them no greater the blazing fireplace 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 force their team afield!
How bow’d the woods underneath their robust stroke!

Let no longer Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and future obscure;
Nor Grandeur listen with a disdainful smile
The brief and simple annals of the negative.

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 word of praise.

Can storied urn or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can Honour’s voice initiate the silent dust,
Or Flatt’ry soothe the dull bloodless ear of Death?

Perhaps on this left out 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 dwelling lyre.

But Knowledge to their eyes her enough page
Rich with the spoils of time did ne’er unroll;
Chill Penury repress’d their noble rage,
And iced over the genial cutting-edge 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 wasteland air.

Some village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast
The little tyrant of his fields withstood;
Some mute inglorious Milton here may also rest,
Some Cromwell guiltless of his country’s blood.

Th’ applause of list’ning senates to command,
The threats of ache and damage 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, however 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 reality to hide,
To quench the blushes of ingenuous shame,
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride
With incense kindled on the Muse’s flame.

Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes in no way learn’d to stray;
Along the cool sequester’d vale of lifestyles
They saved the noiseless tenor of their way.

Yet ev’n these bones from insult to protect,
Some frail memorial nevertheless 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 location of fame and elegy supply:
And many a holy text around she strews,
That train the country moralist to die.

For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
This attractive nerve-racking being e’er resign’d,
Left the nice and cozy precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor solid one longing, ling’ring look behind?

On some fond breast the parting soul relies,
Some pious drops the remaining eye requires;
Ev’n from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
Ev’n in our ashes stay their wonted fires.

For thee, who conscious of th’ unhonour’d Dead
Dost in those traces their artless story relate;
If chance, through lonely contemplation led,
Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,

Haply some hoary-headed swain may say,
“Oft have we visible him on the peep of dawn
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away
To meet the solar upon the upland lawn.

There at the foot of yonder nodding beech
That wreathes its old tremendous roots so high,
His listless duration at noontide would he stretch,
And pore upon the brook that babbles with the aid of.

Hard by using yon wooden, now smiling as in scorn,
Mutt’ring his wayward fancies he might 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 at the custom’d hill,
Along the heath and near his fav’ceremony tree;
Another came; nor yet beside the rill,
Nor up the lawn, nor on the wooden became he;

The subsequent with dirges due in unhappy array
Slow thro’ the church-manner path we saw him borne.
Approach and study (for thou canst study) the lay,
Grav’d at the stone underneath yon aged thorn.

The Epitaph

Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
A kids to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
Fair Science frown’d no longer on his humble birth,
And Melancholy mark’d him for her own.

Large become 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 are seeking his deserves to disclose,
Or draw his frailties from their dread abode,
(There they alike in trembling wish repose)
The bosom of his Father and his God.

Summary of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Popularity of “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”: Thomas Gray, a famend English poet, scholar, and professor wrote ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’. It become first published in 1751. Though it seems as a narrative poem, it's miles a lyrical poem. It is known for its subject of demise and mortality. The poem laments the deaths of all men, especially, the bad and unrecognized ones. It additionally speaks about class differences.
“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” As a Representative of Sorrow: This poem is ready the writer’s meditations at the mysterious countryman dozing within the churchyard. The poet describes each auditory and visual sensations he observes and feels in that churchyard. The mournful sounds of the owls remind him of the lifeless resting of their graves. He laments they will be not able to experience the fruits of lifestyles: the happiness of home, wife, and work. He also comments on the repute and honors rich people revel in in their lives. To him, the bad souls would have also accomplished excellent tasks most effective if they had the opportunity. Now, they may be peacefully slumbering of their cells, and their plain graves replicate their simplicity and morality. In comparison, he describes the lavish funeral momentums of the rich which can be prominent inside the same churchyard. But nothing can restore lifestyles. Even in his epitaph, he asks us no longer to recall him as a wealthy, educated and fantastic person. He wants to be remembered as a melancholic, extreme and unhappy person. He wants to be called a not unusual guy whom he has praised and with whom he became going to be buried.
Major Themes in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”: Death, the transience of life and souvenir mori are the major subject matters of this poem. Surrounded by means of dying, the poem presents various pix stating the evaluation between lifestyles and dying, the mortality and the distinction between special training after dying. Throughout the poem, he develops the idea that every glitter will become rusted on the face of death. He intends to present that the contributors of the lower magnificence are worthy of praise compared to the upper class even in the post-loss of life period. Their easy, unreadable graves provide a clue to their depressing lives. The poet refrains from glorifying the virtues of the rich and famous because they enjoyed reputation whilst they had been alive. He prefers acknowledging the morality and decency of folks who led woeful but glad lifestyles.
Analysis of Literary Devices in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
Literary devices are tools utilized by writers and poets to deliver their emotions, feelings, and ideas to the readers. Thomas Gray has also used many literary gadgets to make the poem appealing. Here is the evaluation of some literary gadgets used on this poem.

Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the equal line consisting of the sound of /o/ in “There on the foot of yonder nodding beech” and the sound of /i/ in “Hands, that the rod of empire would possibly have sway’d”.
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line along with the sound of /r/ in “Approach and study (for thou canst read) the lay” and the sound of /l/ in “And all of the air a solemn stillness holds”.
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the identical line in quick succession which include the sound of /h/ in “Haply some hoary-headed swain may additionally say” and the sound of /w/ in “The plowman homeward plods his weary way”, and the sound of /l/ in “Or wak’d to ecstasy the living lyre”.
Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers understand things involving their 5 senses. For example, “There at the foot of yonder nodding beech”, “The subsequent with dirges due in unhappy array” and “Each in his narrow cellular for all time laid.”
Personification: Personification is to offer human features to inanimate objects. For example, “Let now not Ambition mock their useful toil”, “Or Flatt’ry soothe the dull cold ear of Death” and “But Knowledge to their eyes her sufficient page.”
Enjambment: It is described as a concept in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; instead, it rolls over to the subsequent line. For example,
“The subsequent with dirges due in unhappy array
Slow thro’ the church-manner path we saw him borne.”

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”

Poetic and literary gadgets are the identical, however a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used on this rhyme.

Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of verses and strains. There are thirty-two stanzas in this poem, every comprises of 4 strains.
Quatrain: A quatrain is a 4 covered stanza. Here, every stanza is quatrain.
Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme and this pattern continuous until the give up.
End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. For example, “array/lay”, “dawn/lawn” and “hide/pride.”
Quotes to be Used
The strains stated beneath are suitable in a speech as a quote whilst talking about the transience of existence and humility.

“Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth
A teens to Fortune and to Fame unknown.
Fair Science frown’d not on his humble birth,
And Melancholy mark’d him for her own.”