Thomas Gray: Poems

What is the theme of Gray's poem Elegy written in the churchyard ?

What is the theme of Gray's poem Elegy written in the churchyard ?

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One major theme in the poem is death. Very few poets enjoy such a reputation and fame based almost solely on a single world. If Gray had not written “Elegy in a Country Churchyard” there is a good possibility his name would not be found in literature textbooks across the world. But he did write that poem and it did seal his reputation. More than that, however, it is also quite representative of the theme that dominates those others poems. Being the poet he was, Gray chose quite wisely when he chose to title his most famous poem an elegy. Much of his verse can effectively be described as elegiac. And why not? Things might well have turned out quite differently if Gray’s eleven siblings had survived infancy into adulthood alongside him.

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Elegy in a Country Churchyard