Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard | Summary
Lines 1-4:
In the first stanza, the speaker observes the signs of a country day drawing to a close: a curfew bell ringing, a herd of cattle moving across the pasture, and a farm laborer returning home. The speaker is then left alone to contemplate the isolated rural scene. The first line of the poem sets a distinctly somber tone: the curfew bell does not simply ring; it "knells"—a term usually applied to bells rung at a death or funeral. From the start, then, Gray reminds us of human mortality.
Lines 5-8:
The second stanza sustains the somber tone of...
[The entire page is 2677 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Introduction
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Text of the Poem
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Summary
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Thomas Gray Biography
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Themes
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Style
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Historical Context
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Critical Overview
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Essays and Criticism
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Compare and Contrast
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Topics for Further Study
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Media Adaptations
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: What Do I Read Next?
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Bibliography and Further Reading
- Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: Pictures
- Copyright
Tell a friend about Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard at eNotes.
