Gray's Elegy
Theme and Subject
The themes dealt in the Elegy are familiar, and there is nothing original in them. According to Douglas Bush "theElegy is a mosaic of traditional motifs, classical and modern." The dominant theme of the poem is death. It deals with the death of the rude fore fathers of the village, death as a common occurence in the world and the anticipated death of the youth who may be the poet himself or the his friend West in whose memory the poem has been written. In fact the shadow of death hovers over the poem. The opening line itself, with the curfew tolling 'the knell of the parting day' is indicative of death.
Another theme treated in the Elegy is the transitoriness of all human glory and joy. The poet attempts to show that all 'the paths of glory lead but to the grave.' By implication, the futility of all human ambitions and aspirations is hinted at. The contrast between the lives of the rich and poor or the privileged and the unprivileged forms another theme in the poem. The poet shows how the poor are not in a position to enjoy the luxuries and happiness of life in this world. Their poverty proves an obstacle in the path of their progress. But this poverty is a blessing in disguise. If it does not allow people to rise higher, it also restrains them from doing evil, by limiting their power to do so. The rich, on the other hand, possess the power and means to do good to themselves and the world. But they also have powers to commit mischief and bring destruction on innocent people.
The poem also deals with the desire for fame, the desire to be remembered after death. This theme is treated along with other themes in the poem. The poet shows how even the poor rustics try to perpetuate their memory through inscriptions on some 'frail memorial' decked with 'uncouth rhymes' and 'shapeless sculpture'.
Despite the dominance of the theme of death, the Elegy also presents a nostalgic longing for life. It shows how no man dies without casting one longing
The themes dealt in the Elegy are familiar, and there is nothing original in them. According to Douglas Bush "theElegy is a mosaic of traditional motifs, classical and modern." The dominant theme of the poem is death. It deals with the death of the rude fore fathers of the village, death as a common occurence in the world and the anticipated death of the youth who may be the poet himself or the his friend West in whose memory the poem has been written. In fact the shadow of death hovers over the poem. The opening line itself, with the curfew tolling 'the knell of the parting day' is indicative of death.
Another theme treated in the Elegy is the transitoriness of all human glory and joy. The poet attempts to show that all 'the paths of glory lead but to the grave.' By implication, the futility of all human ambitions and aspirations is hinted at. The contrast between the lives of the rich and poor or the privileged and the unprivileged forms another theme in the poem. The poet shows how the poor are not in a position to enjoy the luxuries and happiness of life in this world. Their poverty proves an obstacle in the path of their progress. But this poverty is a blessing in disguise. If it does not allow people to rise higher, it also restrains them from doing evil, by limiting their power to do so. The rich, on the other hand, possess the power and means to do good to themselves and the world. But they also have powers to commit mischief and bring destruction on innocent people.
The poem also deals with the desire for fame, the desire to be remembered after death. This theme is treated along with other themes in the poem. The poet shows how even the poor rustics try to perpetuate their memory through inscriptions on some 'frail memorial' decked with 'uncouth rhymes' and 'shapeless sculpture'.
Despite the dominance of the theme of death, the Elegy also presents a nostalgic longing for life. It shows how no man dies without casting one longing