thomas gray, "elegy..."
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Pre-Romantic PoetryandThomas Gray
Pre-Romantic Poetry
18th centuryShares characteristics with Neoclassical and Romantic poetry
Neoclassical (earlier):Polished expression of ideasBalanced phrases, sophisticated vocabulary
Romantic (later):Focus on nature, common manExpression of heightened feelings
Thomas Gray
1716-17711 of 12 to survive infancySickly childLived with mother, aunts until 30+Wrote slowly, perfectionistFew poems written but considered to be some of the finest in English language
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Written between 1742 and 1750Gray’s best known poemVery popularMan going on a stroll through churchyard
Elegy = somber poem that laments the dead
Not a true elegy…he is mourning what they could have been
Themes:Life is shortMany talented people neverget the opportunities they deserve
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard