statement that every piece in his book shows careful finish. His fame rests mainly on three poems: the Elegy, The Progress of Poesy, and The Bard. Of th

Elegy. On her tomb he placed the inscription "-mother of many children, one of whom alone had the misfortune to survive her." Gray's friends were warmly attached to him. With one of them, Horace Walpole, the well-known author and collector, he traveled on the continent soon after leaving the university; and although they quarreled and separated the friendship was renewed later. Gray never married. In 1742 he returned to Cambridge and lived there during the rest of his life, with the exception of two years spent in London. After he became famous the laureateship was offered to him, but his dislike of publicity caused him to refuse it. In 1768 he was made Professor of Modern History and Languages at Cambridge. All his life he was a stud

f thought or breadth of sympathy. He is first of all an artist,

L

A COUNTRY

olls the knell

d winds slowly

omeward plods

world to dark

immering landsca

ir a solemn s

eetle wheels his

klings lull th

m yonder ivy-

does to the m

nd'ring near h

ancient sol

gged elms, that

turf in many a

arrow cell fo

fathers of th

of incense-bre

t'ring from the

ll clarion, or

use them from th

e the blazing h

wife ply her

n to lisp thei

nees the envie

vest to their s

the stubborn gl

they drive th

ods beneath thei

ion mock thei

oys, and desti

hear with a d

simple annal

eraldry,[4] th

auty, all that

th' inevita

glory lead bu

ud, impute to t

their tomb no

long-drawn aisle a

em swells the no

urn[6] or an

sion call the f

ice provoke[8]

th the dull col

is neglected

pregnant with

rod of empire m

ecstasy the

to their eyes

oils of time did

repressed the

genial curre

em of purest

thomed caves

wer is born to

sweetness on t

den,[10] that wit

ant of his fie

rious Milton[11

guiltless of his c

list'ning sena

f pain and ru

lenty o'er a

hist'ry in a

de: nor circums

rtues, but their

through slaugh

gates of merc

angs of consciou

blushes of ing

shrine of Lu

kindled at th

adding crowd's

shes never lea

sequestered v

noiseless teno

bones from in

orial still[13

es and shapeless

assing tribute

ears, spelt by th'

f fame and

ly text aroun

he rustic mo

umb Forgetful

anxious being

precincts of t

onging, ling'r

reast the part

s the closing e

omb the voice o

hes live their

indful of th' u

ines their artl

by lonely Conte

pirit shall in

ry-headed swai

seen him at t

hasty steps

upon the uplan

foot of yonder

ts old fantasti

gth at noontide

the brook th

od, now smiling

wayward fancie

woeful wan, li

are, or crossed

ssed him on th

and near his f

; nor yet be

wn, nor at th

th dirges due

hurch-way path w

(for thou canst

stone beneath

EP

head upon the

rtune and to

frowned not on

marked him fo

bounty, and hi

recompense as

is'ry all he

ven ('t was all he

k his merits t

ilties from the

ike in trembli

his Father

thirty-four years old. It was so popular that one edition followed qu

qual length, each consisting of five feet or measu

fires, put out their lights, and go to bed. It was instituted in England after t

is, he personifies morning. Personification is seldom used now, but the eigh

be, soil

i.e. whatever has to do with

he custom to bury the poorer people of a village in th

used by the ancients were frequently decorat

ted, i.e.

call forth, ca

. One of the best-known s

ay taxes levied by the king without the consent of Parliament, and who died

thor of Paradise Lost, is generally ranked as

us Protector, is now regarded by historians in genera

Still,

he arts and sciences, song, and the different kinds of poetry. The true poet was supposed to be

etc. Gray refers to himself

ance, pe

swain the poets usually mean

ivated. Now, of course, the word always means g

edge in general, not

R GOL