Thomas Gray - The Eighteenth Century Poet - Research Paper Example

Thomas Gray the Poet Thomas Gray is considered as the most significant and disappointing eighteenth century poet. There was a general assumption by both readers and friends that he was indeed the most gifted in his generation (Block & Daniel, 2002). The only mishap is that; various generations of intellectuals have since been left surprised for the reasons why Thomas gray’s artistic work failed to be published and publicized accordingly. There is a claim that; the main reason for this was on the basis of his timidity and general that featured in most segments of his life. His major critic who became more outstanding among many others was somebody known as Samuel Johnson. His criticisms reiterated on the perception that Gray was fond of communicating using two languages that comprised of a private and public language. The use of private language was somehow challenging. This can be ascertained in his poem that is entitled; the "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," which was published way back in year 1751 (Burns & Robert, 1992). On the other hand, William Wordsworth, in his preamble, made decisions to the Lyrical Ballads using the Grays piece of work entitled "Sonnet on the Death of Richard West" that was published in 1775. He used it as an example to depict that Thomas Gray was generally ruled by a fake ideology of poetic articulation that was brought out using a wrong language. In an equal judgment, Matthew Arnold gave a remark on the perspective that the age was erroneous for such a highly serious poetry. Gray also in the same manner and with familiar discernment, asserted that the age was wrong for poetry of such significance. To be noted was that Gray was affected by his ultimate age and thus failed to speak out totally. So, the main precarious biography of Gray’s reputation and reception regarding his poetry are summed up by all these judgments. The attraction of attentive critics has mainly been due to the fact of extra ordinary continuation of ‘Elegy’s significance. It is because this piece of work has been outstanding and seems to be indisputably superior especially when measured against all the other performances. Gray was born in a place known as Cornhill back in the year 1716; and was the 5th child of 12 children of Dorothy and Philip Gray, and more so he was the solitude survivor during infancy. Between the year 1725 and 1734, he attended Eton institution, where he then met Horace Walpole and Richard West, who were very influential. In 1734 he joined Peter house College in Cambridge University. After four years of study, he left the university without any degree, with an intension of studying legal studies at the London’s inner temple. Instead, he sailed together with Horace Walpole for the Continental tour, where he later went on with the tour solo after a quarrel with Reggio. He then returned back to London before the death of his father in 1741. A part from his mother; West was the only other person who was much closer to Gray. So, his death in the year 1942 became a total loss to this poet. He had died when Gray had reached the epitome of his greatest productivity, though that year’s work was not fully inspired by either Gray’s anticipation or West’s death. Wests death generally inspired the poet’s piece of work that is well-known as the "Sonnet on the Death of Richard West." It is yet the least significant and the shortest piece of work that the year. The one entitled "Ode on the spring" that was published in 1748 tends to owe something to ode West, and the distant Eton College’s prospect. The "Hymn to Ignorance" on the other hand finally completes that year’s work that comprise Gray’s most critical moments (Gray &Thomas et.al, 1835). The main concern of Grays artistic work is on the ultimate dismissal of the sexual desires. In his poems, his main figure is that of loneliness, alienation, and the marginalized one. Various surrogate-mother or muse figures are majorly invoked in such a manner that resembles the anticipation of John Keatss application of comparable figures for guidance and aid. The distinctive structure of the 1742’s four longer poems has to do with engagement of some desirable figures for repudiation process, as exemplified in the "Ode on the Spring." At times, as shown in the poem entitled "Hymn to Adversity," a repressive and harsh figure is fabricated with the aim of rebuking excessive desire while aiding the establishment of a humane and modest fellowship, the social, as well as the transposed sexual desires. In varying but interrelated ways, these poems ratify the poets pursuit for tutelary spirit, especially for the deliberate who might govern the development of personal and poetic identity. Monument inscribed with Grays Elegy Gray finally got recognition in the year 1751 due to the publication of the poem entitled the Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. It thus received an immediate attention. This poem is a considerate lyric poem that mourns the ultimate loss of a public figure or a beloved person. It tends to honor unknown and humbled generations of villagers who were buried in the church’s cemetery. The perspective of such ordinary people’s recognition was quite unique. Here, the poem’s main theme, or message is that; even though there might be inequality in the lives of the poor and the rich, they will finally end up in similar place. Even though many others had depicted on this kind of ideology, he not only put across this, but in addition gave a suggestion all men’s deaths including his own must be mourned vehemently. The poems general appeal therefore attracted a lot of attention from various people. The exemplary poem entitled "Ode on the Spring" was articulated the time when West was alive, and to some extent, it indicates a staunch response referring to the ode that he had sent to Gray on. It was sent to West at the immediate point of his passing on and was thus returned unopened. It takes the implied kind of elegy, which displaces spring from the renewal context towards that of demise, and is hence in tandem with West’s letter whereby Gray ascertains that he was a common victim of the white Melancholy (Strachan & John et.al, 2011). An illustration to Grays poem “Ode on the Spring” Grays poems on the other hand majorly show a fundamental sexual distress. For instance; in his work "Hymn to Adversity" he arrives at the clear castrative imagery in the course of his imagination. This transpired though there can also be an argument that the humanity’s reduction to the insect life as elicited in the "Ode on the Spring" is an essential outline of sexual loss. This is like a form of the poet’s Virtue replacement. The castration threat is hence transposed into its acceptance. The most threatening Adversity figure is somehow pacified but needs surrender with regards to sexual identity. In "Hymn to Ignorance" he indirectly gets back to Cambridge whereby he invokes its antiquated towers and gothic fanes as he ultimately had Etons antique towers and distant spires. Ignorance signifies a form of maternal presence that is possessed by a peaceful shad. Ignorance is represented ambivalently as an undesirable element within the desirable terms. The oedipal characters are taken to include father (Hyperion), muse/mother (Ignorance), and the persistent poet/son, Gray. To the modern scholars of 18th century, there are three elements of Thomas Grays prose that remains to be of great significance. His various intelligent displays and interests as revealed by his extensive correspondence, reflects out his character in ways that poetry cannot (Untermeyer & Louis, 1962). Gray was generally an enthusiastic explorer, a perceptive admirer of the inspiring nature, as well as a part-time entomologist. In his ultimate correspondence, a well-known passage makes description on his journey towards Grande Chartreuse in his Continental excursion (Rivas-Carmona & Maria, 2013). Here, he came up with a number of ideologies and perceptions that reiterated on the element that; not even a torrent, a precipice, nor a cliff can do so, but the pregnancy with poetry and religion. That particular situation might push an atheist into believing even without the assistance of various other arguments. An individual needs to possess fantastic imaginations if he/she wants to focus on spirits at noonday. He continued lingering that some individuals often die perpetually before other person’s eyes, while composing the entire mind without any form of fright. Gray’s journal on his field excursion of the England Lakes was hence published in a poem entitled ‘The Poems of Mr. Gray’ in the ear 1775. This great work most favorably manipulated Wordsworth, and is taken by most people as the best artistic composition (Review of Periodical Literature, 1993). Finally, he gave a proposal regarding the English literature history, which hence came towards a little above a few literary essays and some sketches that revealed his sole interests in rhyme, union of poetic impacts, meter, as well as older poets. So, with the significant exception of such a correspondence, the entire prose largely remains unread currently, and tends to occupy a place in his work as accorded by Latin masterpieces in verses and prose that he produced occasionally. Most parts of his entire career are majorly marked by the unsettling propensity toward the random, un-sustained, and the occasional. This is the basic reason why his poetry might be the greatest indication of the writing difficulties in a latest public poetry (Pater & Walter, 2010). Indeed, Gray was a very outstanding poet of all seasons. He had all the qualities that disappointed some other people at times while captivating them. Thomas Gray is considered as the most significant and disappointing eighteenth century poet. There was a general assumption by both readers and friends that he was indeed the most talented in his generation (Pater & Walter, 2010). The only mishap is that; various generations of intellectuals have since been left surprised for the reasons why Thomas gray’s artistic work failed to be published and publicized accordingly. There is a claim that; the main reason for this was on the basis of his timidity and general that featured in most segments of his life. This is mainly exemplified by a sample of his unique pieces of work that brings out a very captivating artistic work in literature. On the other hand, his work is majorly based on a number of the upcoming stories as well as the past stories that tend to set basis of his artistic masterpiece. It has also been highly dictated by his socio-cultural set-up within the entire society, as well as his entire prolific background. His various intelligent displays and interests as revealed by his extensive correspondence, reflects out his character in ways that poetry cannot. Gray was generally an enthusiastic explorer, a perceptive admirer of the inspiring nature, as well as a part-time entomologist. The main ideologies that set out the basis of his poems were fact that he had a hobby of travelling so as to explore the nature and what it gives. In the process, he was able to come up with various ideas and conceptual frameworks mainly based on what was transpiring in nature. One of his favorite places where he liked visiting was Italy. This is a place where he came across various artistic features that were very essential for his work, including the shrines and other unique historical elements. The other perspectives that generally added up to his artistic nature were the general imaginary abilities. He seemed to be having an extra-ordinary ability of viewing most of the things beyond other people’s imaginations. He was capable of bringing out some highlights on various issues touching on humanity through the incorporation of various artistic skills that are essential in each and every poetic technique. This is the basic reason why he was earlier attacked by some of his critics on the fact that; he was fond of communicating in both private and public language. Here, the private language meant a situation whereby the used language was had some hidden meanings that require greater intellectual ability so as to get to the ultimate meaning (Strachan & John et.al, 2011). Finally, Thomas Gray’s major foundation of his poetic ideologies was on the basis of his life experience and the social stratification in general. This can be witnessed in a situation whereby he only had one great friend apart from his mother. So, when his friend passed on, he had to express his emotional contempt through his artistic prowess by writing a very short poem based on this matter. Generally, he was the most creative poet ever. Works Cited Block, Daniel R. From Mourning to Melancholia: Voicing Authorship in Its Loss. , 2002. Print. Burns, Robert. The Poetry. Cambridge [England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1992. Internet resource. [Church of England Pamphlet Collection]: Part 3 (a-L). , 1800. Print. Gray, Thomas, John Mitford, and Norton Nicholls. The Works of Thomas Gray. London: W. Pickering, 1835. Print. Pater, Walter. The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry. S.l.: Floating Press, 2010. Internet resource. "Review of Periodical Literature, Published in 1993." The Economic History Review. 48.1 (1995): 151-180. Print. Rivas-Carmona, Maria M, and Maria C. B. Torezano. Cultural Aspects of Translation. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 2013. Internet resource. Strachan, John, and Richard Terry. Poetry. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011. Internet resource. Untermeyer, Louis. Modern American Poetry: [and] Modern British Poetry. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1962. Print. Read More