How does Gray glorify the common men in his elegy? (NU 2014)
Ans. In this poem the poet laments the misfortune and death of the poor villagers. It is evening and the poet is alone in the country churchyard. He now meditates on how the villagers were, how they led their lives, what they did, what they got and what they did not get. In fact, Gray has glorified the life of the villagers skillfully.The dead rustics of the little hamlet were the early birds. They would sleep early and get up from sleep early. The gentle and sweet smelling morning breeze would awake them from sleep. They would also awake from sleep hearing the twittering of the swallow from the straw-built shed, the loud call of the cock or the sound of the horns of the hunter.
The rude forefathers of the poet were poor peasants. They would work hard in the fields. They often reaped the harvest with their sickles; they would make furrows in the hard soil with their ploughs. They would also cut down trees with their heavy hands and axes. In this way the rude forefathers of the poet would lead their domestic life.
The peasants would to go to the fields in the early hours. Hence, their wives burned the hearth to provide the husbands with warmth during winter. When the husbands returned home after day's hard work, the wives were busy with their evening care. The fathers' joy of taking their children in their laps and the children's envious kiss for them show what a happy life they led!
Extreme poverty spoilt their noble creative power and generous instincts of heart of the rustics. If these rude people lying in the grave were rich, they could avail their God gifted poetic genius. Some of them could be famous poets like Milton; some could be as brave and fearless as John Hampden; some could be as brave as Oliver Cromwell. In fact, they had hidden and potential talent. But they did not get opportunity to flourish the talent and remained unknown to the world.
The rich pages of history and knowledge were always closed to the poor villagers. But the lack of opportunities also benefited them in some ways. Their ill fate controlled them in committing crimes. Their poverty made them kind and sympathetic towards humanity. For the lack of patronage and opportunities they could not be the rulers. This deprivation from opportunity kept them away from any bloodshed to occupy the throne.
This is the simple but glorious history of the rude forefathers of the poet. They were poor but honest. They lived a pleasant life free from urban anxiety and criminal activities. They were not ashamed of anything misdeed as their fate did not allow them
to do any corruption and crime. Their fate also helped them to live a simple life and to be free from luxury and pride.
How does Gray create a somber or solemn atmosphere in "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"?
Ans. "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" is a meditative lyric poem of lamentation. In this poem the poet laments the misfortune and death of the poor villagers. To set the mood of lamentation the poem begins with a description of a melancholic atmosphere. All the creatures are returning their safe shelters.. The poet is alone in the churchyard and is remembering the rude forefathers who are sleeping there. It shows his melancholic and isolated mood. The vanishing light, the approaching darkness, the glimmering landscape, the moping owl all contribute to creating a somber atmosphere.
The poem begins with the curfew' that is a symbol of the beginning of night. Again the phrase 'parting day' symbolises the death of a day. The poet is standing in the churchyard that is an image of fear. Again, the poet is alone during the evening that symbolises the melancholic mood of the poet. The tired farmers returning home after day's hard work with a herd of cattle symbolise the death of the day.
The poet is left alone to ponder over the dead rude forefathers. The churchyard is covered with grass and there is many an elm and yew tree. Under the rugged elms and yew trees there are many graves. The rude forefathers of the hamlet are sleeping in these graves taking mounds of earth upon their chests. They will be sleeping eternally in the narrow cells. The gentle and sweet smelling morning breeze, the twittering of the swallow, the loud call of the cock or the sound of the horns of the hunter will never awake them from the eternal sleep.
The melancholic tone hardens when the poet warns the ambitious people not to mock the useful toil of the poor. He says that the pride of heraldry, the boast of power, the pride of beauty, and all things that wealth can give are waiting for meeting death. The path of glory leads all but to grave. Death is the greatest leveler and it levels all irrespective of the rich and the poor, the ugly and the beautiful. The intervention of death shatters the dream of the ambitious. It is certainly heart rending for the proud.
While pondering over the death of the villagers the poet meditates his own death. He imagines that after his death he will be buried and an old shepherd will give an account of his life to a seeker of the poet. This is an elegiac and awesome.
Now it is obvious that the poet has been successful to create a somber and solemn atmosphere to convey his message to the humanity. His diction, setting, selection of time and subject all help to create a grave atmosphere all through the poem.
[NB: Credit goes to Rezaul Karim Sir, I have taken this from his book, purpose of research,
If I do any fault please contact me hbd0657@gmail.com ]
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