Points for discussion
Hello, Dear readers,
Today, I will be discussing all the important points related to “An elegy written in a country churchyard composed by Thomas Gray. I ensure you will get a complete idea to write the summary, central idea and explanation of the poem in an organized manner.
You will be able to write the specification and figure of speech used in this poem too. After reading this page you will find the secret to score outstanding marks in the board examination.
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Content: An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
- About the Poet, Thomas Gray
- Short introduction of the Poem, The True Beauty
- Stanza-wise Explanation (with reference & context)
- Summary Of The Poem (English and Hindi)
- Relevant Quotations and statements
- Specification (Themes and figure of speech, Moral of the poem, etc.)
- Keywords to identify the Reference
About the Poet
Thomas Gray was born 26 December 1716, Cornhill, City of London, United Kingdom. He was an English poet, classical scholar, and professor at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He became popular after the publication of his famous elegy “An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard“. He was Educated from Peterhouse, Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Eton College
About the Poem
This poem “An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard” is an extract form of Gray’s long poem (Elegy) titled ” An elegy written in a country churchyard”. In this poem, the poet highlighted the universal truth of life and death.
He stressed that everything in our life is mortal and temporary nothing is to be everlasting. At the end of the poem, he appeals to the people who live their life with ambition and luxury not to laugh at the forefather who lived their lives simpler, and ordinary
Reference Context and Explanation
Stanza-1
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,
The plowman homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Reference: These lines have been taken from the poem from An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard composed by Thomas Grey
NOTE: Same reference will be written for other stanza of the Poem
Context: In this stanza, the poet describes the evening scene of a village. He is describing the things that are taking place.
Explanation
The evening bell can be heard ringing in church. It is telling people that the day has ended and the evening has set in. The cattle are returning home from the grassland.
The farmer after working hard in the field whole days is slowly working toward their home there will soon be darkness all around and the poet will be left alone in the darkness.
Keywords and Quick Points
- vivid description of end of the day
- The ending day (evening ) indication the reality of life
- the churchyard will be full of darkness soon and poet will be alone.
- It reveals the harsh reality of human life; mankind has to leave everything in this dark world.
Death is not opposite of life but part of it.
Haruki Murakami
Stanza-2
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree’s shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mould’ring heap,
Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep
Context: The poet looks at the dimly lit gravestones, but none of the graves looks impressive.
Explanation
Most of the people buried in the graveyard of the church are poor folk from the village, so their tombstones are just simple, roughly carved stone. On these grave of the villagers, the earth is loose and broken they are covered with wild grass.
The Poet starts to imagine the kinds of lives these dead people probably led. He plunged to deliberate upon the lives of the modest father of Hamlet which makes him understand the irrevokable nature of death.
Keywords and Quick Points
- Describing the look of graveyard and its surrounding.
- In the graveyard, ancestors are asleep who never wake up
Stanza-3
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 more shall rouse them from their lowly bed
Context: The poet talks about the dimly lit gravestones of the poor. This grave of the poor villagers or not in good condition and are covered with dry grass.
Explanation
The poet says that the forefather of the poor villagers are sleeping soundly in their humble graves. The morning is pleasant and a light breeze is flowing with the fragrant smell. The birds can be seen chirping in there straws built nests.
The cock making loud and sharp calls to wake up people from their sleep. There can also be hard the echo of the hunters horn to call back his hounds. However, none of these sounds are able to awake the forefathers from their sleep who lie buried in the graves.
Keywords and Quick Points
- Poet says the beauty of nature and season cannot make them awaken
- Chirping and sharp voice of birds are meaningless for buried people
The dead keeps their secret and in while we shall be as wise as they-and as taciturn.
Alexander Smith
Stanza-4
Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,
Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;
Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile
The short and simple annals of the poor.
Context: The poet advises the rich people not to make fun of the dead and advise not to look down upon their lives because it is the end of all and death is the goal of life.
Explanation
The poet says that the people, who are buried, were very simple and poor people. They worked hard to live a simple and humble life. the labour of these poor folk though low is useful and simple.
Fate never favoured them but still, they were satisfied. Thus, the history of their life is necessarily brief and uneventful. The rich and great man should not look down upon their simple way of life or make fun of them. They should not look down upon them with hatred.
Keywords and Quick Points
- Thomas advises the ambitious people not to laugh at their forefathers
- The goals of every life is GraveThomas advise the ambitious people not to laugh at their forefathers
- The goals of every life is Grave
People will come and go in life. But the right one will always stay.
Unknown
Stanza-5
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.
Context: The poet advises the rich, haughty people not to make fun of the simple joy of the poor peoples or looked down upon their lives because death is the end of all and they too are subject to death
Explanation
The poet says that nothing is everlasting. He says that one should not be proud of his birth in a rich family or of his wealth. Likewise, the powerful, beautiful, or wealthy people should always remember that nothing can protect them from the jaws of death. They should not be too proud of their materials possessions because death is common to all. None can escape death. Death knows the difference between the rich and the poor, the great and the humble. They should do not look down upon the simplest and the humble life of the poor as death is the greatest leveller
Keywords and Quick Points
- People, having ambition and a big dream, should not laugh at buried people
- Because everything in this world in mortal so we should humble upon ourself too
How can the dead be truly dead when they still live in the souls of those who are left behind?
McCuller
Summary Of “An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard“
The beginning part of the poem, “An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard” indicating the setting where the poet is sitting and observing the day, graveyard, farmers and their cattle which are going towards their home. The ringing bell of the church is indicating the evening time.
The forefather of the village are buried and their graveyard under the trees are covered with heaps and dried grass. It seems they are sleeping calmly in the cell. They are having sound sleep even chirping voice of the birds and breezy morning winds can not make them awake from their cells.
Poet appeals to the villagers and ambitious people not to laugh at the simple and rough life of their forefather of the village. In the end, he reveals the universal truth of life and says everything is mortal and temporary. They have to leave all their wealth and property in this world because the destination of our life is the grave.
Hindi Translation: Elegy Written in Country Churchyard
कविता का शुरुआती भाग उस सेटिंग को इंगित करता है जहाँ कवि चर्च के मैदान में बैठा है और दिन, कब्रिस्तान, किसानों और उनके महल का अवलोकन कर रहा है जो jo apne kamo se farig ho kar apne घर की ओर जा रहे हैं। चर्च की घंटी बजना शाम के समय का संकेत है।
गाँव के पूर्वजों को दफन किया जाता है और उनके कब्रिस्तान को पेड़ों के नीचे रखा जाता है जो ढेर और सूखे घास से ढके होते हैं। ऐसा लगता है कि वे apni kabr (grave) में शांति से सो रहे हैं। वे पक्षियों की आवाज को सुनकर भी चैन की नींद ले रहे हैं और सुबह की हवाएं उन्हें unki kabr(grave) से जगा नहीं सकती हैं।
कवि ने ग्रामीणों और महत्वाकांक्षी लोगों से गाँव के अपने पूर्वजों के सरल और कठिन जीवन par न हंसने की अपील karta hai। अंत में, वह जीवन के सार्वभौमिक सत्य को प्रकट करता है और कहता है कि सब कुछ नश्वर और अस्थायी है। उन्हें इस दुनिया में अपनी सारी संपत्ति chhor kar jani होगी क्योंकि हमारे जीवन का गंतव्य (destination) कब्र है।
Note: Hindi version is a machine translation, not professionally translated. so you are recommended to go through the English Version.
Central Idea of “An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard“
In this Poem, An Elegy Written In Country Churchyard” Poet beautifully compared the parting day with the reality of our life. He appealed the high standard people not to give disdainful smile at the rough lives of the poor or their forefathers.
He revealed the truth of life that everything in this universe is mortal and temporary. Every single person will have to leave this world with an empty hand and the destination of our life is the grave.
Even death is not to be feared by one who lived wisely
Buddha
Specifications
- Form of the poem is Elegy ( A poem which reveals the grief or laments on the loss of someone or something)
- It is a kind of appeal to us not to laugh at our forefather or the poor
- the reality of life is highlighted.
- The figure of speech is used: imagery, personification, paradox etc.
Keywords to identify the Reference
- The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
- The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep
- The swallow twitt’ring from the straw-built shed,
- The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow’r,
- And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave