Thomas Gray 1716 - 1771

His Life Gray was born in London and was the only of 11 children to live to adulthood Thomas lived with his mother away from his abusive father Thomas attended college and was close friends with young men who inspired his intellectual growth, including taking him on a Grand Tour of Europe As he grew older, Gray still enjoyed traveling and often visited areas of England, particularly the Lake District

Gray was studious, but shy, often considered to be one of the most intelligent men of his time He was rarely pleased with his poetry and refused the position of Poet Laureate in 1757 He was made Professor of History at Cambridge in 1768 Gray died in 1771 and is buried beside his mother He is honored with a monument in Westminster Abbey

His Work Gray is considered a transitional poet; his work moves poetry from the neoclassical forms seen in the Restoration to the full-fledged Romantic poetry defined by Wordsworth and Coleridge He is best known for “Elegy in a Country Churchyard” Highly respected by his friends as a poet, this poem was one of a very few he allowed published in his lifetime

Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Reflects the evolving Romantic view of an idealized, innocent life of rural people living an unspoiled life away from the negatives of the city This poem uses a neoclassic formality to present a Romantic theme An elegy is a memorialization of the death of someone, and this poem meditates on death and grief